Manufacturing and investigation of physical properties of polyacrylonitrile nanofibre composites with SiO₂, TiO₂ and Bi₂O₃ nanoparticles

• Tomasz Tański,
• Wiktor Matysiak and
• Barbara Hajduk

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1141–1155, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.106

• concentration by weight of the used reinforcing phase, which was as follows: 0%, 4%, 8% and 12% for each type of nanoparticles. The width of the band gap was determined on the basis of the absorption spectra of radiation (UV–vis) and ellipsometry methods. Spectroscopic ellipsometry has been used in order to

• determine the dielectric constant, refractive index and the thickness of the obtained fibrous mats. Keywords: ceramic nanoparticles; electrospinning methods; polyacrylonitrile; polymer composite nanofibres; spectroscopic ellipsometry; Introduction Over the last decade, there has been a noticeable

• properties of the obtained composite nanofibres with the participation of fibrous layers are scrutinized by means of ellipsometry and UV–vis spectroscopy. Experimental In order to prepare the spinning solution, the following were used: polyacrylonitrile (PAN purity 99%, Mw = 150 000 g/mol). The reinforcing

Investigating organic multilayers by spectroscopic ellipsometry: specific and non-specific interactions of polyhistidine with NTA self-assembled monolayers

• Ilaria Solano,
• Pietro Parisse,
• Ornella Cavalleri,
• Federico Gramazio,
• Loredana Casalis and
• Maurizio Canepa

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 544–553, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.48

• .7.48 Abstract Background: A versatile strategy for protein–surface coupling in biochips exploits the affinity for polyhistidine of the nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) group loaded with Ni(II). Methods based on optical reflectivity measurements such as spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) allow for label-free

• spectra method, which emphasizes the small changes of the ellipsometry spectral response upon the nanoscale thickening/thinning of the molecular film, we characterized different steps of the process such as the NTA-functionalization of Au, the adsorption of the His6 layer and its eventual displacement

• ellipsometry; Introduction The design of biosensing devices requires precise immobilization, with controlled orientation, of functional proteins on a surface, generally consisting of a substrate functionalized with a molecular receptor layer [1][2]. After seminal works [3], the interaction of chelated Ni ions

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

• packed self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold [101]. The SAMs were characterized using ellipsometry, contact angle goniometry, polarization modulation-infrared reflection adsorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS) and XPS. The data in these fundamental studies were compared with those obtained from SAMs that

• thermal stability of these SAMs than those derived from monodentate and bidentate adsorbates as revealed by preliminary studies at elevated temperatures using ellipsometry [102]. Later systematic studies of both thiol-functionalized flat gold surfaces and colloidal gold nanoparticles approved that the

• monolayers with a well-defined bonding configuration on gold substrates. Film formation from solution was investigated in situ by second harmonic generation (SHG) and ellipsometry, which revealed a two-step process (fast adsorption ≈ physisorption, followed by slow film ordering ≈ chemisorption). The SAMs

Characterisation of thin films of graphene–surfactant composites produced through a novel semi-automated method

• Nik J. Walch,
• Alexei Nabok,
• Frank Davis and
• Séamus P. J. Higson

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 209–219, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.19

• LbL deposition of graphene(−)SDS alternated with polyethyleneimine (PEI). The optical study of graphene thin films deposited on different substrates was carried out using UV–vis absorption spectroscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry. A particular focus was on studying graphene layers deposited on gold

• -coated glass using a method of total internal reflection ellipsometry (TIRE) which revealed the enhancement of the surface plasmon resonance in thin gold films by depositing graphene layers. Keywords: characterization; ellipsometry; graphene; 1H NMR; surfactant; Introduction Since its initial discovery

• -by-layer (LbL) deposition. Films composed of these new graphene composite materials were then characterised using SEM, AFM, and spectroscopic ellipsometry. The study of SPR in gold films coated with graphene using total internal reflection ellipsometry was carried out for the first time. Experimental

3D solid supported inter-polyelectrolyte complexes obtained by the alternate deposition of poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) and poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate)

• Eduardo Guzmán,
• Armando Maestro,
• Sara Llamas,
• Jesús Álvarez-Rodríguez,
• Francisco Ortega,
• Ángel Maroto-Valiente and
• Ramón G. Rubio

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 197–208, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.18

• initially formed on the surface of the gold electrode of the quartz crystal, in order to obtain a charged substrate [19]. QCM-D provided the impedance spectra of the crystal for the fundamental resonance frequency and for its odd overtones, ν, up to 11 [26]. Ellipsometry An imaging null-ellipsometer from

• has been used, as in a previous work [20]. From the results obtained from ellipsometry it was possible to calculate the mass adsorbed on the substrate, Г, using De Feijter’s equation [27], where nf and nl, are the refractive index of the film and solvent, respectively. The (dn/dc)T values measured for

• using QCM-D and ellipsometry data following the method proposed by Vöros [19][38][39][40][41]. Figure 3 shows the water weight fraction, Xw, for (PDADMAC + PSS)N films. The water content decreases as N increases, which agrees with the behavior reported for other films [42][43]. This behavior is due to

Chemical bath deposition of textured and compact zinc oxide thin films on vinyl-terminated polystyrene brushes

• Nina J. Blumenstein,
• Caroline G. Hofmeister,
• Peter Lindemann,
• Cheng Huang,
• Johannes Baier,
• Andreas Leineweber,
• Stefan Walheim,
• Christof Wöll,
• Thomas Schimmel and
• Joachim Bill

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 102–110, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.12

• template with an AFM tip. This data are consistent with ellipsometry measurements (not shown) performed with a single-wavelength ellipsometer (DRE-ELX-02, DRE, Germany). Taking into account the molecular weight of the polymer (Mw = 2600 g·mol−1) and the monomers weight of 104.15 g·mol−1, the molecules

Fabrication and characterization of novel multilayered structures by stereocomplexion of poly(D-lactic acid)/poly(L-lactic acid) and self-assembly of polyelectrolytes

• Elena Dellacasa,
• Li Zhao,
• Gesheng Yang,
• Laura Pastorino and
• Gleb B. Sukhorukov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 81–90, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.10

• . Both multilayer structures, with and without polymeric precursor, were firstly fabricated and characterized on planar supports. A quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and ellipsometry were used to evaluate the thickness and

• planar supports, and then transferred onto spherical sacrificial templates, in order to build hollow microcapsules. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and gas permeation chromatography (GPC) were used to characterize the chemical composition and molecular weight of synthetic PLA polymers. Ellipsometry and

• quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) were used to monitor the step-by-step assembly and to evaluate the thickness and the mass of the multilayers. The use of ellipsometry to characterize the layer growth gave us information about the thicknesses of the films compared to the previously used QCM technique

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering by colloidal CdSe nanocrystal submonolayers fabricated by the Langmuir–Blodgett technique

• Alexander G. Milekhin,
• Larisa L. Sveshnikova,
• Tatyana A. Duda,
• Ekaterina E. Rodyakina,
• Volodymyr M. Dzhagan,
• Ovidiu D. Gordan,
• Sergey L. Veber,
• Cameliu Himcinschi,
• Alexander V. Latyshev and
• Dietrich R. T. Zahn

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 2388–2395, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.245

• character of SERS by optical phonons in CdSe NCs. As was shown from the micro-ellipsometry measurements [24], the LSPR energy in the array of 77 nm Au nanoclusters was about 625 nm. This value is very close to the excitation energy used in the SERS experiment (632.8 nm) that leads to the resonant SERS. Note

Scalable, high performance, enzymatic cathodes based on nanoimprint lithography

• Dmitry Pankratov,
• Richard Sundberg,
• Javier Sotres,
• Dmitry B. Suyatin,
• Ivan Maximov,
• Sergey Shleev and
• Lars Montelius

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1377–1384, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.142

• electrolytes) and quantitative (monitoring of the enzyme layer on Au surface using ellipsometry) studies were performed. In both measurements no indication of BOx desorption from the Au surface was observed. Specifically, no colour difference between the electrolyte (20 mL of PBS, pH 7.4) used in the

• contact with BOx-modified electrodes during the assays. Moreover, the ellipsometry data clearly showed that after rinsing no desorption of the enzyme took place: the adsorbed amount being approximately constant with a value of approximately 2.6 pmol·cmreal−2 (Supporting Information File 1, Figure S8a

• measurements, air-saturated PBS containing 5 mM ABTS (which was not in a contact with the BOx-modified electrodes) was always prepared and also monitored to estimate the auto-oxidation rate of ABTS by O2 under these conditions. Ellipsometry measurements The adsorption of BOx (40 μg·mL−1 solution was used for

Observing the morphology of single-layered embedded silicon nanocrystals by using temperature-stable TEM membranes

• Sebastian Gutsch,
• Daniel Hiller,
• Jan Laube,
• Margit Zacharias and
• Christian Kübel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 964–970, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.99

• ellipsometry. The EFTEM has been carried out using an image aberration corrected FEI Titan 80-300 microscope operated at 300 kV, equipped with a Gatan 863 Tridiem Imaging Filter and a US1000 slow-scan CCD camera. EFTEM images were acquired with a 5 eV energy slit centered at an energy loss of 17 eV (i.e., the

• which we annealed an oxide free Si wafer under the same annealing conditions. An unintentional oxide growth below 1 nm SiO2 thickness was estimated by ellipsometry. On the other hand, we need to consider Si diffusion towards the surface followed by a molecular desorption process [31]. The diffusion of

Combination of surface- and interference-enhanced Raman scattering by CuS nanocrystals on nanopatterned Au structures

• Alexander G. Milekhin,
• Nikolay A. Yeryukov,
• Larisa L. Sveshnikova,
• Tatyana A. Duda,
• Ekaterina E. Rodyakina,
• Victor A. Gridchin,
• Evgeniya S. Sheremet and
• Dietrich R. T. Zahn

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 749–754, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.77

• ][20]. Since these two parameters are crucial for the enhancement of the Raman scattering by the absorbing NC layer, we used spectroscopic ellipsometry to determine the precise value of the SiO2 layer thickness that gives the maximal IERS signal. The data on optical properties of CuS NC layer are also

• ellipsometry measurements averaging over an area of about 1 mm. Periodic Au nanocluster arrays with a size of 10 × 10 µm2 were fabricated as reported previously [13] on Si and 75 nm thick SiO2 layers by direct electron beam writing (Raith-150, Germany) of a 130 nm spin-coated resist film (polymethyl

• science foundation (project 14-12-01037), the cfAED cluster of excellence, by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, and CKP. Special thanks to K. P. Mogil’nikov for ellipsometry measurements of SiO2 layers with gradual thickness and determination of SiO2 thickness.

Self-assembled anchor layers/polysaccharide coatings on titanium surfaces: a study of functionalization and stability

• Ognen Pop-Georgievski,
• Dana Kubies,
• Josef Zemek,
• Neda Neykova,
• Roman Demianchuk,
• Eliška Mázl Chánová,
• Miroslav Šlouf,
• Milan Houska and
• František Rypáček

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 617–631, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.63

• immobilization, as well as the stability upon immersion under physiological-like conditions, are demonstrated by different surface sensitive techniques such as spectroscopic ellipsometry, infrared reflection–absorption spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The changes in morphology and the

• ; neridronate; poly(dopamine); spectroscopic ellipsometry; surface characterization; surface modification; titanium; XPS; Introduction Titanium and titanium alloys are widely used in medicine and dentistry to replace and support hard tissues [1]. The absence of toxic alloying metals [1], extraordinary specific

• photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) and infrared reflection–absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS). The changes in topography and the established continuity of the layers were revealed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), stylus profilometry (SP) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The

Entropy effects in the collective dynamic behavior of alkyl monolayers tethered to Si(111)

• Christian Godet

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 583–594, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.60

• thickness (spectroscopic ellipsometry, SE), molecular packing density and possible interface oxidation of the Si substrate (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy). The surface density of acid groups (0.4 × 1014 cm−2) and the total organic layer (acid + alkyl) coverage (2.6 × 1014 cm−2) were obtained by XPS using

Synergic combination of the sol–gel method with dip coating for plasmonic devices

• Cristiana Figus,
• Maddalena Patrini,
• Francesco Floris,
• Lucia Fornasari,
• Paola Pellacani,
• Gerardo Marchesini,
• Andrea Valsesia,
• Flavia Artizzu,
• Daniela Marongiu,
• Michele Saba,
• Franco Marabelli,
• Andrea Mura,
• Giovanni Bongiovanni and
• Francesco Quochi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 500–507, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.52

• fine-tuning of the silica layer thickness on the plasmonic structure were studied. Control of the silica coating thickness was achieved through a combined approach involving sol–gel and dip-coating techniques. The silica films were characterized using spectroscopic ellipsometry, contact angle

• uniformity were evaluated and spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) was employed as the main characterization technique to evaluate the film thickness. The film thickness was monitored as a function of different processing parameters, namely, pH, aging time, EtOH dilution, and withdrawal speed. The sol–gel process

• substrate as a function of ethanol dilution of the initial sol (right). Refractive index, n, at 750 nm, evaluated by spectroscopic ellipsometry of silica layers deposited onto a glass substrate at a fixed withdrawal speed (50 mm/min) for different EtOH dilution (v/v = 1:0, 1:2, 1:4, 1:6). Tunable-thickness

Optical properties and electrical transport of thin films of terbium(III) bis(phthalocyanine) on cobalt

• Peter Robaschik,
• Pablo F. Siles,
• Daniel Bülz,
• Peter Richter,
• Manuel Monecke,
• Michael Fronk,
• Svetlana Klyatskaya,
• Daniel Grimm,
• Oliver G. Schmidt,
• Mario Ruben,
• Dietrich R. T. Zahn and
• Georgeta Salvan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 2070–2078, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.215

• substrates were studied using variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (VASE) and current sensing atomic force microscopy (cs-AFM). Thin films of TbPc2 with a thickness between 18 nm and 87 nm were prepared by organic molecular beam deposition onto a cobalt layer grown by electron beam evaporation. The

• molecular orientation of the molecules on the metallic film was estimated from the analysis of the spectroscopic ellipsometry data. A detailed analysis of the AFM topography shows that the TbPc2 films consist of islands which increase in size with the thickness of the organic film. Furthermore, the cs-AFM

• microscale. The AFM-based electrical measurements allow the local charge carrier mobility of the TbPc2 thin films to be quantified with nanoscale resolution. Keywords: current sensing AFM; ellipsometry; spintronics; TbPc2; transport properties; Introduction Molecular spintronic devices could bring a new

Hydrophobic interaction governs unspecific adhesion of staphylococci: a single cell force spectroscopy study

• Nicolas Thewes,
• Peter Loskill,
• Philipp Jung,
• Henrik Peisker,
• Markus Bischoff,
• Mathias Herrmann and
• Karin Jacobs

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1501–1512, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.163

• . Following a standard protocol, these hydrophilic surfaces can be rendered hydrophobic by the self-assembly of a monolayer of silane molecules (octadecyltrichlorosilane, OTS, Sigma-Aldrich), featuring a CH3-tailgroup [20][21]. As has been shown in [21] by perfoming AFM, X-ray reflectometry, ellipsometry, and

Optical modeling-assisted characterization of dye-sensitized solar cells using TiO₂ nanotube arrays as photoanodes

• Jung-Ho Yun,
• Il Ku Kim,
• Yun Hau Ng,
• Lianzhou Wang and
• Rose Amal

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 895–902, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.102

• between 0.1 Hz and 100 kHz with an AC amplitude of ± 10 mV using a Gamry Reference 600 instrument. Transfer matrix method analysis for TNT-based DSSCs For transfer matrix method analysis for TNT-based DSSCs, the ellipsometry measurement system was used to get the optical constants such as refractive index

• (n) and extinction coefficient (k). Prior to the ellipsometry measurement, the individual layers inside the DSSCs were prepared on a cleaned Si wafer of 2.5 × 2.5 cm2. The Si wafer was sequentially cleaned in acetone, isopropyl alcohol and milli-Q water with 5 min sonication, respectively. The N719

Ellipsometry and XPS comparative studies of thermal and plasma enhanced atomic layer deposited Al₂O₃-films

• Jörg Haeberle,
• Karsten Henkel,
• Hassan Gargouri,
• Franziska Naumann,
• Bernd Gruska,
• Michael Arens,
• Massimo Tallarida and
• Dieter Schmeißer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2013, 4, 732–742, doi:10.3762/bjnano.4.83

• deposited at 200 °C, for the PE-ALD films we varied the substrate temperature range between room temperature (rt) and 200 °C. We show data from spectroscopic ellipsometry (thickness, refractive index, growth rate) over 4” wafers and correlate them to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results. The 200

• not influenced significantly. Initial state energy shifts in all PE-ALD samples are observed which we attribute to a net negative charge within the films. Keywords: Al2O3; ALD; ellipsometry; PE-ALD; XPS; Introduction Thin aluminum oxide (Al2O3) layers deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) have

• ]. Herein the typical parameters like growth rate per cycle (GPC), density and refractive index were determined by ellipsometry whereas the elemental composition was mostly deduced from Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS). The influence of the substrate temperature onto these parameters was

Surface passivation and optical characterization of Al₂O₃/a-SiC_x stacks on c-Si substrates

• Gema López,
• Pablo R. Ortega,
• Cristóbal Voz,
• Isidro Martín,
• Mónica Colina,
• Anna B. Morales,
• Albert Orpella and
• Ramón Alcubilla

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2013, 4, 726–731, doi:10.3762/bjnano.4.82

• refractive index of Al2O3 measured by ellipsometry was around 1.6 at a wavelength of 632 nm, whereas for the a-SiCx layers it was quite close to 2.0. On the other hand, the absorbance of Al2O3/a-SiCx stacks deposited on borosilicate glass was analyzed by means of an UV–vis–NIR Spectrometer equipped with an

• characterization, the thickness and refractive index of the individual Al2O3 and SiCx layers were measured by ellipsometry (Plasmos SD 2100) at a wavelength of 632 nm. Finally, in order to know the optical absorbance, we also deposited the same Al2O3/a-SiCx stacks on transparent substrates (Borosilicate glass

Evolution of microstructure and related optical properties of ZnO grown by atomic layer deposition

• Adib Abou Chaaya,
• Roman Viter,
• Mikhael Bechelany,
• Zanda Alute,
• Donats Erts,
• Anastasiya Zalesskaya,
• Kristaps Kovalevskis,
• Vincent Rouessac,
• Valentyn Smyntyna and
• Philippe Miele

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2013, 4, 690–698, doi:10.3762/bjnano.4.78

• properties of the ZnO films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ellipsometry, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD). An Asylum Research MFP-3D atomic force microscope equipped with a commercial silicon tip was operated in the tapping

Preparation of electrochemically active silicon nanotubes in highly ordered arrays

• Tobias Grünzel,
• Young Joo Lee,
• Karsten Kuepper and
• Julien Bachmann

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2013, 4, 655–664, doi:10.3762/bjnano.4.73

• spectroscopic ellipsometry for thin silica films, and by nuclear magnetic resonance and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for nanoporous samples. After removal of the lithium oxide byproduct, the silicon nanotubes can be contacted electrically. In a lithium ion electrolyte, they then display the electrochemical

• qualitative observations can be complemented by quantitative data recorded by spectroscopic ellipsometry. This method analyzes light reflected at the various interfaces present in a thin film sample and enables the experimentalist to determine the layer thicknesses, based on a structural model of the system

• and the optical properties of the materials involved. In the Si/SiO2 sample exposed to Mg vapors, the experimental ellipsometry spectra recorded over the visible wavelength range (Figure 3a) evidence a systematic variation from the part of the sample immediately adjacent to the Mg boat (black and blue

Mapping of plasmonic resonances in nanotriangles

• Simon Dickreuter,
• Julia Gleixner,
• Andreas Kolloch,
• Johannes Boneberg,
• Elke Scheer and
• Paul Leiderer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2013, 4, 588–602, doi:10.3762/bjnano.4.66

• been removed by the laser pulse (see, e.g., Figure 5, which will be discussed in detail below). The electron-beam lithography samples were prepared on a silicon (Si) wafer with a native silicon oxide (SiO2) layer with a thickness of 2.4 nm (measured by ellipsometry), for the wafers used for colloid

Guided immobilisation of single gold nanoparticles by chemical electron beam lithography

• Patrick A. Schaal and
• Ulrich Simon

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2013, 4, 336–344, doi:10.3762/bjnano.4.39

• ellipsometry between both plasma cleaning steps. All samples were transferred directly into silanisation solutions after venting and silanised in dry toluene by the Schlenk technique. For this, a stem solution of 10 mM CSPETCS in dry toluene was prepared first. Cleaned samples were put into dried Schlenk tubes

• amount of ultrapure water and dried in a nitrogen stream. Ellipsometry To determine the SAM thicknesses ellipsometric measurements were performed by using a NFT I-Elli 2000 imaging ellipsometer equipped with a HeNe laser (λ = 632.8 nm). In order to calculate the film thicknesses we use values of n

Selective surface modification of lithographic silicon oxide nanostructures by organofunctional silanes

• Thomas Baumgärtel,
• Christian von Borczyskowski and
• Harald Graaf

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2013, 4, 218–226, doi:10.3762/bjnano.4.22

• agreement with the thickness of 11-bromoundecyltrichlorosilane monolayers on silica substrates which was determined to a value of 1.81 nm by ellipsometry measurements [30]. There are also a few larger elevations, which may be due to polymerization already within the solution. Such impurities could be

Macromolecular shape and interactions in layer-by-layer assemblies within cylindrical nanopores

• Thomas D. Lazzara,
• K. H. Aaron Lau,
• Wolfgang Knoll,
• Andreas Janshoff and
• Claudia Steinem

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2012, 3, 475–484, doi:10.3762/bjnano.3.54

• ][17][18]. LbL structures on flat surfaces can be well characterized with subnanometer sensitivity by using a number of surface analysis techniques, such as surface plasmon resonance, atomic force microscopy or ellipsometry [19][20]. For LbL structures formed inside porous systems, such as within films