Tuning adhesion forces between functionalized gold colloidal nanoparticles and silicon AFM tips: role of ligands and capillary forces

• Sven Oras,
• Sergei Vlassov,
• Marta Berholts,
• Rünno Lõhmus and
• Karine Mougin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 660–670, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.61

• might hinder formation of water meniscus and prevent capillary forces or H-bonding. Contrary to NPs with a hydrophilic coating, hydrophobic (–CH3) and partially hydrophobic (–OCH3) coatings display a different behavior. Figure 3 indicates that the presence of a hydrophobic interface significantly

• close packing of the molecules ensured by vdW interactions between chains plays an essential role in stabilizing thin molecular films or coatings. It is well known that molecules with short alkyl chains (n < 8, where n represents the number of carbon atoms groups along the chain skeleton of the molecules

• at 4 °C in a dark bottle. HAuCl4 was dispersed in water, reduced by NaBH4 and stabilized by C2H7NS (electrosteric stabilization) due to the thiol–Au bond. For a hydrophobic and partially hydrophobic coatings, a two-step functionalization method [49] based on a modified version of two common syntheses

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

• . The substrates were immersed in acetone and isopropyl alcohol and sonicated for 15 min to remove any undesired surface ions. A 200 nm Pt film as a snake-shaped heater was sputtered on the back of the substrate using a sputter coater from Nanostructured Coatings Co. To fabricate the sensor device

Periodic structures on liquid-phase smectic A, nematic and isotropic free surfaces

• Anna N. Bagdinova,
• Evgeny I. Demikhov,
• Nataliya G. Borisenko,
• Sergei M. Tolokonnikov,
• Gennadii V. Mishakov and
• Andrei V. Sharkov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 342–352, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.34

• applications, such as display quality technology and production enhancement. The free surface of liquid crystals is interesting by itself because many applications use one single boundary (e.g., coatings, paints, make-up) [3][4]. Appreciable progress in the development of tools for surface characterization

Nanoparticle delivery to metastatic breast cancer cells by nanoengineered mesenchymal stem cells

• Liga Saulite,
• Karlis Pleiko,
• Ineta Popena,
• Dominyka Dapkute,
• Ricardas Rotomskis and
• Una Riekstina

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 321–332, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.32

• ]. However, after 48 h, 72 h and 96 h propagation on polyHEMA coatings, CD90 expression was reduced to 92%, 81% and 88%, respectively (Figure 2C). Therefore, we chose 24 h as the optimal incubation time for 3D cell co-culture experiments to ensure the selectivity of the CD90 marker towards MSCs. Quantum dot

• signal stability in mesenchymal stem cell spheroids Next, we sought to determine the stability of the QD label in MSC spheroids. QD release was estimated in MSCs that were labelled with QDs in complete or serum-free medium in 2D culture and seeded on polyHEMA coatings to form spheroids. After 24 h, only

• fluorescence intensity. *p-value < 0.05, ***p-value < 0.001. The viability of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 cells in spheroids. The viability of cells was analysed in 3D monocultures (A) and 3D co-cultures (B) after 24 h and 48 h of cultivation on polyHEMA coatings. *p-value < 0.05

Review: Electrostatically actuated nanobeam-based nanoelectromechanical switches – materials solutions and operational conditions

• Liga Jasulaneca,
• Jelena Kosmaca,
• Raimonds Meija,
• Jana Andzane and
• Donats Erts

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 271–300, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.29

• tungsten target at room temperature has a Young’s modulus as high as 300 GPa, which is comparable to the widely used WNx protective coatings (300–390 GPa) [143]. 3T NEM switches were fabricated by a top-down approach using reactive ion sputtering over a SiO2 sacrificial layer, employing electron beam

Dopant-stimulated growth of GaN nanotube-like nanostructures on Si(111) by molecular beam epitaxy

• Alexey D. Bolshakov,
• Alexey M. Mozharov,
• Georgiy A. Sapunov,
• Igor V. Shtrom,
• Nickolay V. Sibirev,
• Vladimir V. Fedorov,
• Evgeniy V. Ubyivovk,
• Maria Tchernycheva,
• George E. Cirlin and
• Ivan S. Mukhin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 146–154, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.17

• the field of photovoltaics. In case of silicon-based solar cells (SCs), reflection can be reduced from 30% (pure Si) down to 3% without deposition of multilayer antireflection coatings or involvement of complicated postgrowth techniques generally used for modification of the SC surface roughness [9

Advances in nanocarbon composite materials

• Sharali Malik,
• Arkady V. Krasheninnikov and
• Silvia Marchesan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 20–21, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.3

• then expanded to the area of two-dimensional materials. This Thematic Series contains reviews and articles spanning diverse areas of research and highlights promising applications for energy transfer composites, coatings, biosensors, diagnostics, biomedicine and advanced nanocarbon materials. Many of

Electro-optical characteristics of a liquid crystal cell with graphene electrodes

• Nune H. Hakobyan,
• Hakob L. Margaryan,
• Valeri K. Abrahamyan,
• Vladimir M. Aroutiounian,
• Arpi S. Dilanchian Gharghani,
• Amalya B. Kostanyan,
• Timothy D. Wilkinson and
• Nelson Tabirian

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2802–2806, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.279

• conductive layer, which is often a thin film of metal (e.g., Au, Ag) or indium tin oxide (ITO). However, the use of these coatings often complicates the technology because of the need for antireflection coatings, or they disturb the optical homogeneity and chemical stability [1][2][3]. Hence a number of

The role of ligands in coinage-metal nanoparticles for electronics

• Ioannis Kanelidis and
• Tobias Kraus

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2625–2639, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.263

• beyond limiting particle size during synthesis and colloidal stability during formulation. Small inorganic ligands such as chalcogenides, conductive polymers and metallic coatings, for example a silver shell, yield inks with different interesting properties. They help to pack the conductive nanoparticles

Nanoprofilometry study of focal conic domain structures in a liquid crystalline free surface

• Anna N. Bagdinova,
• Evgeny I. Demikhov,
• Nataliya G. Borisenko and
• Sergei M. Tolokonnikov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2544–2551, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.254

• substrate anchoring [1][2]. This understanding is important for display-quality technology and production enhancement. The study of the free liquid crystalline boundary is interesting for applications such as liquid crystalline colors and coatings as well as cosmetics. To study liquid crystalline free

Au nanostructure fabrication by pulsed laser deposition in open air: Influence of the deposition geometry

• Rumen G. Nikov,
• Anna Og. Dikovska,
• Nikolay N. Nedyalkov,
• Georgi V. Avdeev and
• Petar A. Atanasov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2438–2445, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.242

• pressure (in open air) [19][20][21][22]. Boutinguiza et al. have shown that it is possible to produce Ag nanoparticles by this approach [20]. A practical application of the method has already been demonstrated, namely, the formation of hard coatings [22]. PLD in open air could also lead to the formation of

• geometries used in the experiments. Electrical resistance and hydrophobicity of the Au nanostructures produced under different geometries. Acknowledgements The authors acknowledge the financial support by project DFNP-184 “Nanostructured coatings fabricated by laser ablation in air” under the Assistance for

Vapor-based polymers: from films to nanostructures

• Meike Koenig and
• Joerg Lahann

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2219–2220, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.221

• poly(p-xylylenes) via the Gorham process, has been of industrial use in the fabrication of isolating or protective coatings in electronics and biomaterials for many years [1][2]. More recently, vapor deposition polymerization has been extended to a broad variety of reactive polymers [3], additionally

• using techniques such as plasma-, initiated-, or oxidative chemical vapor deposition polymerization [4][5]. The reason for the ongoing interest in this research field is that, analogue to the deposition of inorganic coatings by chemical vapor deposition, the deposition of polymer coatings from the vapor

• phase has many advantages over traditional, wet chemistry methods. These advantages result in a variety of benefits for vapor-based polymer coatings and their broad utility. Due to the absence of solvents, dewetting effects are less pronounced, which together with the fact that small monomers instead of

Ester formation at the liquid–solid interface

• Nguyen T. N. Ha,
• Thiruvancheril G. Gopakumar,
• Nguyen D. C. Yen,
• Carola Mende,
• Lars Smykalla,
• Maik Schlesinger,
• Roy Buschbeck,
• Tobias Rüffer,
• Heinrich Lang,
• Michael Mehring and
• Michael Hietschold

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2139–2150, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.213

• ultra-thin surface coatings. Experimental TMA (0.05 g) and undecanol (7.5 mL, Aldrich, 98%) were mixed leading to a clear solution and a sediment of excess TMA at the bottom. Next, these samples were sonicated (1–8 h) or stirred (1–30 h). Afterward, the mixtures were either centrifuged or allowed to

High-stress study of bioinspired multifunctional PEDOT:PSS/nanoclay nanocomposites using AFM, SEM and numerical simulation

• Alfredo J. Diaz,
• Hanaul Noh,
• Tobias Meier and
• Santiago D. Solares

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2069–2082, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.207

• the AFM probe diameter. No pressure-induced changes in conductivity were observed in the clay-free polymer either. Keywords: biomimetics; conductive AFM; conductive nanocomposites; contact-resonance force microscopy; multifrequency AFM; transparent coatings; Introduction Bioinspired material designs

• bare glass slide, as expected. The samples casted from the 1:16 dilution are referred to as the thin and transparent coatings, since that dilution ratio produced the most transparent and thinnest sample. It is noteworthy that the addition of the nanoclay did not significantly affect the transmittance

• mechanical properties [57][58]. The results from C-AFM and the contact-resonance frequency of CRFM confirm the change in packing of the thin coatings by measuring an inferior electro-mechanical performance compared to the thick films. It is noteworthy that most applications of PEDOT:PSS require thicknesses

A comparative study of the nanoscale and macroscale tribological attributes of alumina and stainless steel surfaces immersed in aqueous suspensions of positively or negatively charged nanodiamonds

• Colin K. Curtis,
• Antonin Marek,
• Alex I. Smirnov and
• Jacqueline Krim

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2045–2059, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.205

• plotted as a function of fluid viscosity and shear velocity divided by load (Stribeck curve). NPs present in a fluid could impact the tribological performance in all three lubrication regimes, for example by forming lubricious surface coatings or acting as rolling or sliding spacers at the contacts. In

A systematic study of the controlled generation of crystalline iron oxide nanoparticles on graphene using a chemical etching process

• Peter Krauß,
• Jörg Engstler and
• Jörg J. Schneider

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2017–2025, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.202

• quality of the transferred graphene. The protective polymer coatings typically used generate residues and contamination on the ultrathin graphene layer. In this work, we have developed a graphene transfer process which works without a coating and allows the transfer of graphene onto arbitrary substrates

Advances and challenges in the field of plasma polymer nanoparticles

• Andrei Choukourov,
• Pavel Pleskunov,
• Daniil Nikitin,
• Valerii Titov,
• Artem Shelemin,
• Mykhailo Vaidulych,
• Anna Kuzminova,
• Pavel Solař,
• Jan Hanuš,
• Jaroslav Kousal,
• Ondřej Kylián,
• Danka Slavínská and
• Hynek Biederman

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2002–2014, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.200

• oxides whereas siloxane moieties tend to adsorb on surfaces and form silicon oxide coatings. The amount of added oxygen determines the chemical composition of the coatings. The same paradigm can be adapted for the synthesis of NPs in the configuration of GAS [53]. Plasma polymerization can be performed

•  16c,d shows their counterparts deposited over the preseeded nylon-sputtered NPs. As expected, normal depositions produce compact coatings with the surface replicating the underlying structure (correspondingly, smooth blank Si or roughened NP seeds). Using GLAD, a columnar structure develops with

• columns inclined towards the direction of the deposition. Obviously, the porosity of the coatings is greatly increased when it is deposited over the preseeded NPs. This approach also offers the possibility to combine different materials, and hence, to independently tune the surface morphology and the

Bi-layer sandwich film for antibacterial catheters

• Gerhard Franz,
• Florian Schamberger,
• Hamideh Heidari Zare,
• Sara Felicitas Bröskamp and
• Dieter Jocham

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1982–2001, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.199

• coating, because it forms the very stable complex [Ag(NH3)2]+, which dissolves a possible precipitate of AgCl [19]. 3. Among the various deposition techniques, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is known for its outstanding conformal coatings, in particular on three-dimensional substrates. Because the

• describe the first design. In the literature, two different coatings are discussed: metallic layers consisting of Ag0, and layers containing ionic Ag+ salts [10]. Coatings of silver halides are difficult to prepare, the most commonly applied process is impregnation, dipping into a solution or aqueous

• is called electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and is a widespread technique to evaluate the quality of coatings quantitatively. In contrast to the first method, larger areas can be easily tested, and a quantitative result is yielded, under the expense of spatial resolution. A simple

Enhancement of mechanical and electrical properties of continuous-fiber-reinforced epoxy composites with stacked graphene

• Naum Naveh,
• Olga Shepelev and
• Samuel Kenig

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1909–1918, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.191

• of graphene, along with the high electrical conductivity, promote percolation thresholds much lower than with metallic powders, carbon fibers or carbon black [13]. Epoxy resins are used as a matrix in high-performance composite materials for aerospace structures, coatings and adhesives for a variety

α-Silicene as oxidation-resistant ultra-thin coating material

• Ali Kandemir,
• Fadil Iyikanat,
• Cihan Bacaksiz and
• Hasan Sahin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1808–1814, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.182

• for all application areas. As a well-known mechanism of electrochemical corrosion, the formation of rust is an un-solicited reaction between a metal and oxygen. For that reason, protection of surfaces from oxygen has become an important field. Although macroscale and microscale coatings have been used

• intensively in surface protection for a long time [1][2], two-dimensional (2D) materials have become new candidates for nanoscale coatings for different material groups. Therefore, coating mechanisms at the nanoscale take are of high interest in nanotechnology, and new candidates for nanostructural protection

Nanotribological behavior of deep cryogenically treated martensitic stainless steel

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

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

• efforts available in the open literature were focused on the micro- and nanotribological evaluation of Si and single metals for microelectromechanical system (MEMS) applications [14][15] and carbon-based coatings [16][17][18]. Although, there is an incipient amount of nanotribological studies performed in

Air–water interface of submerged superhydrophobic surfaces imaged by atomic force microscopy

• Markus Moosmann,
• Thomas Schimmel,
• Wilhelm Barthlott and
• Matthias Mail

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1671–1679, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.167

• open new possibilities for the investigation of air-retaining surfaces, specifically in terms of measuring contact area and in comparing different coatings, and thus will lead to the development of new applications. Keywords: AFM in liquid; air retention; atomic force microscopy; bionics; Salvinia

Uptake and intracellular accumulation of diamond nanoparticles – a metabolic and cytotoxic study

• Antonín Brož,
• Lucie Bačáková,
• Pavla Štenclová,
• Alexander Kromka and
• Štěpán Potocký

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1649–1657, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.165

• materials, for example, films for potential implant coatings [13]. Nanodiamond-based drug delivery has been mainly developed for advanced tumour therapies and for localized drug delivery [3][14]. Due to their stable and controllable photoluminescence, NDs are also highly promising for advanced photonic and

Surface functionalization of 3D-printed plastics via initiated chemical vapor deposition

• Christine Cheng and
• Malancha Gupta

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1629–1636, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.162

• the structures during processing. In this study, processing parameters such as the substrate temperature and the filament temperature were systematically varied to understand how these parameters affect the uniformity of the coatings along the 3D-printed objects. The 3D-printed objects were coated

• microfluidics. Keywords: 3D printing; chemical vapor deposition; coatings; functional polymers; surface modification; Introduction Three-dimensional printing (3DP) is a useful fabrication technique that offers rapid and low-cost prototyping, high levels of design complexity, and resolution on the micron scale

• used to deposit functional polymer coatings [21][22]. In the iCVD process, monomer and tert-butyl peroxide (TBPO) initiator are introduced in the vapor phase to a reactor chamber under vacuum, whereupon the initiator is thermally cleaved by a heated filament array. Monomer and initiator radicals adsorb

Parylene C as a versatile dielectric material for organic field-effect transistors

• Tomasz Marszalek,
• Maciej Gazicki-Lipman and
• Jacek Ulanski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1532–1545, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.155

• electronic devices and circuits, which not only comprise active layers, but also electrodes, dielectrics, insulators, substrates and protecting/encapsulating coatings. In this review, poly(chloro-para-xylylene) known as Parylene C, which appears to become a versatile supporting material especially suitable

• . The initiation step does not require any external initiator but, instead, it involves a monomer molecule in its diradical triplet first excited state [26]. A natural consequence of this mechanism is the extraordinary purity of parylene coatings, a property of great importance in electronic

• with the accompanying chemical reactions, is presented in Figure 1. There is a number of advantages of the parylene technology. First of all, being a gas-phase diffusion-controlled process, it yields smooth pinhole-free conformal coatings with excellent penetration abilities. Second, there are several