Intermixing of MoS₂ and WS₂ photocatalysts toward methylene blue photodegradation

• Maryam Al Qaydi,
• Nitul S. Rajput,
• Michael Lejeune,
• Abdellatif Bouchalkha,
• Mimoun El Marssi,
• Steevy Cordette,
• Chaouki Kasmi and
• Mustapha Jouiad

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 817–829, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.68

• cost-effective technology. By harnessing impinging photons, the photocatalytic degradation of pollutants takes place at the interface between the photocatalyst surface and the MB-contaminated electrolyte. The photon energy is the driving force for breaking down the MB compound leading to its removal [9

Electron-induced ligand loss from iron tetracarbonyl methyl acrylate

• Hlib Lyshchuk,
• Atul Chaudhary,
• Thomas F. M. Luxford,
• Miloš Ranković,
• Jaroslav Kočišek,
• Juraj Fedor,
• Lisa McElwee-White and
• Pamir Nag

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 797–807, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.66

• advanced reactive force field molecular dynamics simulations [20]. Here we focus on two electron-induced dissociative channels of Fe(CO)4MA, namely, dissociative ionization and dissociative electron attachment (DEA). We focus on the electron energy range below 20 eV. Data from two complementary

Electrospun polysuccinimide scaffolds containing different salts as potential wound dressing material

• Veronika Pálos,
• Krisztina S. Nagy,
• Rita Pázmány,
• Krisztina Juriga-Tóth,
• Bálint Budavári,
• Judit Domokos,
• Dóra Szabó,
• Ákos Zsembery and
• Angela Jedlovszky-Hajdu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 781–796, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.65

• according to the specific load capacity–elongation curves (Supporting Information File 1, Figure S4). The maximum load capacity is calculated from the maximal force that the mechanical instrument can exert on the test material divided by the specific weight. The calculated specific maximum load capacity

Exploring surface charge dynamics: implications for AFM height measurements in 2D materials

• Mario Navarro-Rodriguez,
• Andres M. Somoza and
• Elisa Palacios-Lidon

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 767–780, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.64

• Mario Navarro-Rodriguez Andres M. Somoza Elisa Palacios-Lidon Centro de Investigación en Óptica y Nanofísica (CIOyN), Department of Physics, University of Murcia, E-30100, Spain 10.3762/bjnano.15.64 Abstract An often observed artifact in atomic force microscopy investigations of individual

• [23][24], or electrochemical properties [25] is a key topic of research. Factors such as flake size and shape, composition, density of defects, or doping significantly influence the response of 2D materials. Given the nanoscopic scale underlying the functionality of 2D materials, atomic force

• [30]. This issue can be addressed with Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM). Under ambient conditions, the most common mode is amplitude modulation (AM-AFM), which uses the oscillation amplitude reduction as the input for the topography feedback. Its main aspects are summarized in [31]. At large free

Effect of repeating hydrothermal growth processes and rapid thermal annealing on CuO thin film properties

• Monika Ozga,
• Eunika Zielony,
• Aleksandra Wierzbicka,
• Anna Wolska,
• Marcin Klepka,
• Marek Godlewski,
• Bogdan J. Kowalski and
• Bartłomiej S. Witkowski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 743–754, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.62

• crystalline quality of the films. The implementation of the HT+RTA procedure significantly enhances the potential of CuO films for electronic applications. Key findings from Kelvin probe force microscopy analysis demonstrate the possibility of modulating the work function of the material. In addition

• , which allowed for the investigation of both topography and electrical properties of the films. Surface topography analysis was performed by utilizing an atomic force microscopy (AFM) operating in Peak Force Tapping mode. The surface was scanned at a resolution of 1024 × 1024 measurement points using a

• resolution of 256 × 256 pixels presented in the paper were derived from the “SCM data” channel. Contact potential difference (VCPD) measurements were carried out using Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) in amplitude modulation mode, also employing SCM-PIT-V2 probes from Bruker. These measurements were

Elastic modulus of β-Ga₂O₃ nanowires measured by resonance and three-point bending techniques

• Annamarija Trausa,
• Sven Oras,
• Sergei Vlassov,
• Mikk Antsov,
• Tauno Tiirats,
• Andreas Kyritsakis,
• Boris Polyakov and
• Edgars Butanovs

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 704–712, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.58

• the mechanical properties of Ga2O3 nanowires (NWs). In this work, we investigated the elastic modulus of individual β-Ga2O3 NWs using two distinct techniques – in-situ scanning electron microscopy resonance and three-point bending in atomic force microscopy. The structural and morphological properties

• finely controllable β-Ga2O3 NW synthesis methods and detailed post-examination of their mechanical properties before considering their application in future nanoscale devices. Keywords: atomic force microscopy; elastic modulus; gallium oxide; mechanical properties; nanowire; scanning electron microscopy

• for studying the mechanical properties of NWs, such as nanoindentation [15], three-point bending tests using an atomic force microscope (AFM) [16], and in-situ scanning electron microscope (SEM) resonance [17]. However, challenges of obtaining consistent and comparable elastic modulus values across

Enhancing higher-order modal response in multifrequency atomic force microscopy with a coupled cantilever system

• Wendong Sun,
• Jianqiang Qian,
• Yingzi Li,
• Yanan Chen,
• Zhipeng Dou,
• Rui Lin,
• Peng Cheng,
• Xiaodong Gao,
• Quan Yuan and
• Yifan Hu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 694–703, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.57

• , Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, P. R. China 10.3762/bjnano.15.57 Abstract Multifrequency atomic force microscopy (AFM) utilizes the multimode operation of cantilevers to achieve rapid high-resolution imaging and extract multiple properties. However, the higher-order modal response of

• , including increasing the modal frequency of the original cantilever and generating additional resonance peaks, demonstrating the significant potential of the coupled system in various fields of AFM. Keywords: atomic force microscopy; coupled system; higher-order modes; macroscale; multifrequency AFM

• ; Introduction Multifrequency atomic force microscopy (AFM) has become an important tool for nanoscale imaging and characterization [1][2]. This technique involves the excitation and detection of multiple frequencies to improve data acquisition speed, sensitivity, and resolution, as well as to enable material

Gold nanomakura: nanoarchitectonics and their photothermal response in association with carrageenan hydrogels

• Nabojit Das,
• Vikas,
• Akash Kumar,
• Sanjeev Soni and
• Raja Gopal Rayavarapu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 678–693, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.56

• incorporation into k-CG hydrogel beads. Transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy measurements The actual mean size of the synthesized makura-shaped nanoparticles was calculated in terms of length/width aspect ratio. Figure 4 shows transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force

• instrument was run for the zeta potential measurement. The actual size, morphology, and aspect ratio calculation of the synthesized nanoparticles were observed under a transmission electron microscope (120 kV, Tecnai, FEI, The Netherlands) at multiple regions. An atomic force microscope (Witec Alpha 300RA

• ) equipped with a solid-state laser operating at 532 nm with a power of 0.7 mW, a grating of 600 L/mm, and an objective lens of 50× (Zeiss) was used in noncontact (tapping) mode. The cantilevers of length 125 μm and width 4 μm were used at a resonance frequency of 142 Hz and at a constant force of 42 N/m

Functional fibrillar interfaces: Biological hair as inspiration across scales

• Guillermo J. Amador,
• Brett Klaassen van Oorschot,
• Caiying Liao,
• Jianing Wu and
• Da Wei

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 664–677, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.55

• ]. The bristles (or setae) of these wings support flapping flight by reducing inertia, enhancing aerodynamic performance, and facilitating their deployment (i.e., folding and unfolding). The wing acts as a leaky paddle, and can produce 66–96% of the aerodynamic drag force of an equivalent membranous wing

• pattern consisting of a power stroke of large amplitude and a recovery stroke of small amplitude (similar to the arm movement during breaststroke swimming), which is adopted by microalgae [105] and ciliates [15]. In these locomotory patterns, microbial hairs are consistently involved in drag force

Comparative analysis of the ultrastructure and adhesive secretion pathways of different smooth attachment pads of the stick insect Medauroidea extradentata (Phasmatodea)

• Julian Thomas,
• Stanislav N. Gorb and
• Thies H. Büscher

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 612–630, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.52

• long intrigued scientists, prompting extensive research on the functional morphology of attachment pads. In stick insects, attachment and locomotion are facilitated by two distinct types of smooth cuticular attachment pads: the primary adhesion force-generating arolium and the friction force-generating

AFM-IR investigation of thin PECVD SiO_x films on a polypropylene substrate in the surface-sensitive mode

• Hendrik Müller,
• Hartmut Stadler,
• Teresa de los Arcos,
• Adrian Keller and
• Guido Grundmeier

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 603–611, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.51

• /bjnano.15.51 Abstract Thin silicon oxide films deposited on a polypropylene substrate by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition were investigated using atomic force microscopy-based infrared (AFM-IR) nanospectroscopy in contact and surface-sensitive mode. The focus of this work is the comparison of

• Photothermal AFM-IR nanospectroscopy is a technique that combines the chemical information from infrared (IR) spectroscopy with the high spatial resolution of atomic force microscopy (AFM). For this, the sample is illuminated with a tunable IR laser [1]. When a suitable IR wavelength is chosen, resonant

• absorption of IR photons results in molecular vibrations in the material under investigation. This photon absorption also causes the thermal expansion of the material. The resulting photothermally generated tip–sample force is measured via changes in the deflection signal of the AFM cantilever. The

Stiffness calibration of qPlus sensors at low temperature through thermal noise measurements

• Laurent Nony,
• Sylvain Clair,
• Daniel Uehli,
• Aitziber Herrero,
• Jean-Marc Themlin,
• Andrea Campos,
• Franck Para,
• Alessandro Pioda and
• Christian Loppacher

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 580–602, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.50

• University, CNRS, Centrale Marseille, FSCM (FR1739), CP2M, 13397 Marseille, France 10.3762/bjnano.15.50 Abstract Non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM) offers a unique experimental framework for topographical imaging of surfaces with atomic and/or sub-molecular resolution. The technique also permits

• to perform frequency shift spectroscopy to quantitatively evaluate the tip–sample interaction forces and potentials above individual atoms or molecules. The stiffness of the probe, k, is then required to perform the frequency shift-to-force conversion. However, this quantity is generally known with

• little precision. An accurate stiffness calibration is therefore mandatory if accurate force measurements are targeted. In nc-AFM, the probe may either be a silicon cantilever, a quartz tuning fork (QTF), or a length extensional resonator (LER). When used in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) and at low temperature

Electron-induced deposition using Fe(CO)₄MA and Fe(CO)₅ – effect of MA ligand and process conditions

• Hannah Boeckers,
• Atul Chaudhary,
• Petra Martinović,
• Amy V. Walker,
• Lisa McElwee-White and
• Petra Swiderek

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 500–516, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.45

• nanostructures produced by FEBID are of interest for diverse applications including magnetic data storage devices [4][5][6], tips for magnetic force microscopy [4][7], or sensors [4][8]. The same applies to cobalt nanostructures, which can be prepared with high purity and shape fidelity using, in particular, the

Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue under visible light by cobalt ferrite nanoparticles/graphene quantum dots

• Vo Chau Ngoc Anh,
• Le Thi Thanh Nhi,
• Le Thi Kim Dung,
• Dang Thi Ngoc Hoa,
• Nguyen Truong Son,
• Nguyen Thi Thao Uyen,
• Nguyen Ngoc Uyen Thu,
• Le Van Thanh Son,
• Le Trung Hieu,
• Tran Ngoc Tuyen and
• Dinh Quang Khieu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 475–489, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.43

• result, the repulsion force of these species comes into play, reducing adsorption. UV–vis spectroscopy was used to study MB decolourisation (Figure 7c). The UV–vis spectra of MB present a strong adsorption band at 664 nm, corresponding to functional groups (n–π* electron transition), and two adsorption

Fabrication of nanocrystal forms of ᴅ-cycloserine and their application for transdermal and enteric drug delivery systems

• Hsuan-Ang Tsai,
• Tsai-Miao Shih,
• Theodore Tsai,
• Jhe-Wei Hu,
• Yi-An Lai,
• Jui-Fu Hsiao and
• Guochuan Emil Tsai

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 465–474, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.42

• that a driving force similar to the EPR effect might be one of the forces driving DCS nanocrystals to penetrate the skin layer. The findings above implied that DCS nanocrystals had a much better penetration capability through human skin and could be applied for transdermal drug delivery due to their

• future. In addition, we found that combining passive transport and EPR-like force allowed DCS nanocrystals to overcome their high hydrophilic properties and penetrate the skin layer. These formulations can be applied as a reservoir patch system for long-term transdermal delivery. In summary, DCS

Heat-induced morphological changes in silver nanowires deposited on a patterned silicon substrate

• Elyad Damerchi,
• Sven Oras,
• Edgars Butanovs,
• Allar Liivlaid,
• Mikk Antsov,
• Boris Polyakov,
• Annamarija Trausa,
• Veronika Zadin,
• Andreas Kyritsakis,
• Loïc Vidal,
• Karine Mougin,
• Siim Pikker and
• Sergei Vlassov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 435–446, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.39

• a driving force for the redistribution of Ag atoms and splitting of the adhered part of a NW into shorter fragments as a mechanism for stress mitigation. For the suspended parts, the thermal expansion should result in deformation. To estimate the extent and distribution of the heat-induced

Unveiling the nature of atomic defects in graphene on a metal surface

• Karl Rothe,
• Nicolas Néel and
• Jörg Kröger

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 416–425, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.37

• smallest defects appear as a depression without discernible interior structure suggesting the presence of vacancy sites in the graphene lattice. With an atomic force microscope, however, only one kind can be identified as a vacancy defect with four missing carbon atoms, while the other kind reveals an

• intact graphene sheet. Spatially resolved spectroscopy of the differential conductance and the measurement of total-force variations as a function of the lateral and vertical probe–defect distance corroborate the different character of the defects. The tendency of the vacancy defect to form a chemical

• bond with the microscope probe is reflected by the strongest attraction at the vacancy center as well as by hysteresis effects in force traces recorded for tip approach to and retraction from the Pauli repulsion range of vertical distances. Keywords: atomic force microscopy and spectroscopy; graphene

Insect attachment on waxy plant surfaces: the effect of pad contamination by different waxes

• Elena V. Gorb and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 385–395, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.35

• tested insects showed a strong reduction of the maximum traction force on all waxy plant surfaces compared to the reference experiment on glass (gl1). After beetles have walked on waxy plant substrates, their adhesive pads were contaminated with wax material, however, to different extents depending on

• the plant species. The insects demonstrated significantly lower values of both the maximum traction force and the first peak of the traction force and needed significantly longer time to reach the maximum force value in the gl2 test than in the gl1 test. These effects were especially pronounced in

• experimentally supports the contamination hypothesis. Keywords: adhesion; Chrysolina fastuosa; Chrysomelidae; Coleoptera; epicuticular wax projections; tenent setae; traction force; Introduction It has been shown in numerous experimental studies that insects possessing hairy adhesive pads (i.e., specialized

Investigating ripple pattern formation and damage profiles in Si and Ge induced by 100 keV Ar⁺ ion beam: a comparative study

• Indra Sulania,
• Harpreet Sondhi,
• Tanuj Kumar,
• Sunil Ojha,
• G R Umapathy,
• Ambuj Mishra,
• Ambuj Tripathi,
• Richa Krishna,
• Devesh Kumar Avasthi and
• Yogendra Kumar Mishra

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 367–375, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.33

• using atomic force microscopy, and induced damage profiles inside Si and Ge by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and transmission electron microscopy. The ripple wavelength was found to scale with ion fluence, and energetic ions created more defects inside Si as compared to that of Ge. Although

• clustering of defects leads to a subsequent increase of the damage peak in irradiated samples (for an ion fluence of ≈9 × 1017 ions/cm2) compared to that in unirradiated samples. Keywords: atomic force microscopy; ion beam; nanopatterns; radiation damage; Rutherford backscattering spectrometry; transmission

• in a controlled manner on a wide variety of substrates with required dimensions. There are reports from 1960’s, by Cunningham et al. [1] and Navez et al. [2], on the production of submicron and nanoscale patterns by IBS. However, with the availability of high-resolution tools such as atomic force

Controllable physicochemical properties of WO_x thin films grown under glancing angle

• Rupam Mandal,
• Aparajita Mandal,
• Alapan Dutta,
• Rengasamy Sivakumar,
• Sanjeev Kumar Srivastava and
• Tapobrata Som

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 350–359, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.31

• uniformity. WSxM software was used to carry out AFM image analysis. Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) was used to study the local work function of the WOx films. WOx samples were removed from the high-vacuum environment right before the KPFM measurements to avoid any contamination in air. For KPFM

Exploring the relationships between physiochemical properties of nanoparticles and cell damage to combat cancer growth using simple periodic table-based descriptors

• Joyita Roy and
• Kunal Roy

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 297–309, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.27

• valence potential allow for an easier formation of the electrostatic double layer (EDL). If the solution with NPs shifts to lower ionic strength, then the zeta potential increases as the EDL expands to balance the electrostatic force, thus allowing for the dispersion of NPs. The descriptor

Determining by Raman spectroscopy the average thickness and N-layer-specific surface coverages of MoS₂ thin films with domains much smaller than the laser spot size

• Felipe Wasem Klein,
• Jean-Roch Huntzinger,
• Vincent Astié,
• Damien Voiry,
• Romain Parret,
• Houssine Makhlouf,
• Sandrine Juillaguet,
• Jean-Manuel Decams,
• Sylvie Contreras,
• Périne Landois,
• Ahmed-Azmi Zahab,
• Jean-Louis Sauvajol and
• Matthieu Paillet

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 279–296, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.26

• . However, atomic force microscopy revealed that they are constituted of nanoflakes (with a lateral size of typically 50 nm) with possibly a distribution of thicknesses. Furthermore, depending on the synthesis conditions, the MoS2 surface coverage can be incomplete, and the thin film average thickness can

Design, fabrication, and characterization of kinetic-inductive force sensors for scanning probe applications

• August K. Roos,
• Ermes Scarano,
• Elisabet K. Arvidsson,
• Erik Holmgren and
• David B. Haviland

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 242–255, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.23

• August K. Roos Ermes Scarano Elisabet K. Arvidsson Erik Holmgren David B. Haviland Department of Applied Physics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Hannes Alfvéns väg 12, SE-114 19 Stockholm, Sweden 10.3762/bjnano.15.23 Abstract We describe a transducer for low-temperature atomic force

• microscopy based on electromechanical coupling due to a strain-dependent kinetic inductance of a superconducting nanowire. The force sensor is a bending triangular plate (cantilever) whose deflection is measured via a shift in the resonant frequency of a high-Q superconducting microwave resonator at 4.5 GHz

• . We present design simulations including mechanical finite-element modeling of surface strain and electromagnetic simulations of meandering nanowires with large kinetic inductance. We discuss a lumped-element model of the force sensor and describe the role of an additional shunt inductance for tuning

Quantitative wear evaluation of tips based on sharp structures

• Ke Xu and
• Houwen Leng

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 230–241, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.22

• Ke Xu Houwen Leng School of Electrical & Control Engineering, Shenyang Jianzhu University, Shenyang 110168, China 10.3762/bjnano.15.22 Abstract To comprehensively study the influence of atomic force microscopy (AFM) scanning parameters on tip wear, a tip wear assessment method based on sharp

• scanning frequency and free amplitude, and a set point of approximately 0.2, resulting in clear, high-quality AFM images. Keywords: atomic force microscopy; estimated tip diameter; scanning parameter; tip reconstruction; tip wear; Introduction AFM is a commonly used multifunctional technology in

• scans, and the degree of wear increases with higher free amplitude. This increase is due to the increase in tip–sample force when the distance is constant [22][23]. To investigate the impact of the line scanning frequency on wear, the tip’s free amplitude was maintained at approximately 300 mV, the set

Multiscale modelling of biomolecular corona formation on metallic surfaces

• Parinaz Mosaddeghi Amini,
• Ian Rouse,
• Julia Subbotina and
• Vladimir Lobaskin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 215–229, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.21

• (TiO2, SiO2, and Fe2O3), carbonaceous NPs (graphene, carbon nanotubes, and carbon black), semiconductors (CdSe) [26], and polymers [27], it lacks the set of short-range potentials required for calculating milk protein-aluminum adsorption energies. Here, we compute potentials of mean force (PMF) for Al

• GROMACS-2018.6 and PLUMED (PLUMED2-2.5.1.conda.5) software packages [29][30][31]. CHARMM-GUI/Nanomaterial Modeler was employed to construct the topology and force fields of three fcc surfaces of Al: (100), (110), and (111) [32]. The General Amber Force Field (GAFF) was utilized to model side-chains

• analogues (SCA) within the system [33][34]. The AMBER force field is a widely recognized and extensively validated force field that provides accurate descriptions of molecular systems [35]. We evaluated the short-range PMFs between 22 SCAs and an Al slab in a solvent environment comprising water and salt