Micro- and nano-surface structures based on vapor-deposited polymers

• Hsien-Yeh Chen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1366–1374, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.138

• Hsien-Yeh Chen Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 10617, Taiwan 10.3762/bjnano.8.138 Abstract Vapor-deposition processes and the resulting thin polymer films provide consistent coatings that decouple the underlying substrate surface properties and can be

• have recently attracted considerable attention. The multifunctional, gradient, and/or synergistic activities of using such interfaces are also discussed. Finally, an emerging discovery of selective deposition of polymer coatings and the bottom-up patterning approach by using the selective deposition

• the resulting coatings are mostly applicable to a wide range of substrate materials [1]. In addition, the vapor deposition process typically provides excellent coating fidelity, i.e., the resulting polymer coatings are conformal with respect to micrometer- or nanometer-sized topology of the substrate

Miniemulsion copolymerization of (meth)acrylates in the presence of functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes for reinforced coating applications

• Bertha T. Pérez-Martínez,
• Lorena Farías-Cepeda,
• Víctor M. Ovando-Medina,
• José M. Asua,
• Lucero Rosales-Marines and
• Radmila Tomovska

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1328–1337, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.134

• surfactant on the kinetics of miniemulsion polymerization of butyl acrylate (BA) in the presence of CNTs. Waterborne polymer dispersions are mainly used for coatings and adhesives, which involve the formation of films directly cast from the dispersion, usually at ambient temperature [22][24]. This limits the

Oxidative chemical vapor deposition of polyaniline thin films

• Yuriy Y. Smolin,
• Masoud Soroush and
• Kenneth K. S. Lau

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1266–1276, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.128

• utility of oCVD in the synthesis of PTh and showed that the polymer conjugation length and electrical conductivity can be tuned by adjusting the oCVD processing conditions [31]. We further deposited ultrathin (4–6 nm) conformal and uniform PTh coatings within porous nanostructures, including anodized

• aluminum oxide, mesoporous TiO2, and activated carbon; these oCVD PTh coatings resulted in enhanced charge storage due to preservation of the surface area and pore space within the nanostructures [32]. As a result, PTh-coated carbon electrodes showed a 50% increase in specific capacitance and excellent

• cycle life even after 5000 cycles due to the robust ultrathin coatings [32]. In addition, our study of the copolymerization of thiophene and pyrrole via oCVD showed enhanced conductivity and stability of the copolymers [33]. In view of experimental evidence that oCVD conducting polymers show favorable

Nanotopographical control of surfaces using chemical vapor deposition processes

• Meike Koenig and
• Joerg Lahann

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1250–1256, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.126

• .8.126 Abstract In recent years much work has been conducted in order to create patterned and structured polymer coatings using vapor deposition techniques – not only via post-deposition treatment, but also directly during the deposition process. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional structures can be

• : polymer coatings; polymer structures; structured coatings; vapor deposition polymerization; Review Introduction Polymer coatings have wide-spread applications, from electronics [1], to sensor systems [2] to biotechnology [3]. The ability to spatially control the surface properties in order to further

• . Many examples exist for the post-deposition structuring of homogeneous coatings, for example, with the use of lithographic techniques [5][6][7]. Instead, the focus of this review lies on the various methods which can be utilized to form structured coatings during the vapor deposition process. Masked

Nano-engineered skin mesenchymal stem cells: potential vehicles for tumour-targeted quantum-dot delivery

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

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1218–1230, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.123

• levels of biological organization, from cell monolayers to primates and even ecosystems [34][35]. The potential toxicological effects of QDs are usually based on the release of free cadmium (Cd) [36]. However, QD shell and surface coatings protect the core, which contains toxic inorganic semiconductor

• materials. Unless coatings are damaged, QDs are mainly non-toxic [37]. Recently, Yaghini et al., by using non-photolytic visible wavelength excitation, have shown the formation of superoxide anion radicals by photoexcited CdSe/ZnS QDs [38]. Thus, the QDs may induce phototoxic reactions in labelled cells

Preparation of thick silica coatings on carbon fibers with fine-structured silica nanotubes induced by a self-assembly process

• Benjamin Baumgärtner,
• Hendrik Möller,
• Thomas Neumann and
• Dirk Volkmer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1145–1155, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.116

• study is the deposition of nanostructured silica onto the surface of carbon fibers. Among other techniques of covering the carbon fiber surface with a silicon dioxide layer (or other ceramic coatings), the most common ones are chemical vapor deposition (CVD) [4], liquid phase impregnation [5] and sol

• and the possibility to control the ceramic composition. For instance, modification and variation of the alkyl and alkoxy groups of the employed silica precursors allow for controlling the composition of anti-oxidative SiC/SiO2 coatings [6]. The sol–gel method for coating carbon fibers with silicon

• dioxide (or other ceramic coatings) typically utilizes metal alkoxides, e.g., tetramethyl orthosilicate, which are hydrolyzed in water/ethanol mixtures containing hydrochloric acid to obtain a sol. The coating procedure of carbon fibers involves three steps: dipping the carbon fiber into the sol solution

Growth, structure and stability of sputter-deposited MoS₂ thin films

• Reinhard Kaindl,
• Bernhard C. Bayer,
• Roland Resel,
• Thomas Müller,
• Viera Skakalova,
• Gerlinde Habler,
• Rainer Abart,
• Alexey S. Cherevan,
• Dominik Eder,
• Maxime Blatter,
• Fabian Fischer,
• Jannik C. Meyer,
• Dmitry K. Polyushkin and
• Wolfgang Waldhauser

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1115–1126, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.113

• employed here is aimed at realization of microbial electrolysis cells/sustainable base production in which the MoS2- or Pt-coated electrodes would be used on the cathodic side [54]. Here, we compared 400 °C deposited PVD MoS2 coatings of 10 and 100 nm thickness with two 50 and 25 nm thick reference Pt

• coatings prepared by PVD and electroplating, respectively. We use the MoS2-coated (or, for reference, Pt-coated) RVC foam electrodes on the cathodic side and a bare RVC foam electrode on the anodic side in the electrochemical two-terminal setup. The thus obtained electrode performance values are relative

• produced by the MoS2 coatings depends on their thickness, whereas almost identical values have been obtained for the two 25 and 50 nm thick platinum coatings. The RVC coatings were also compared in terms of mole of hydroxide produced. The quantity of hydroxide produced during the entire time of the process

Optical response of heterogeneous polymer layers containing silver nanostructures

• Miriam Carlberg,
• Florent Pourcin,
• Olivier Margeat,
• Judikaël Le Rouzo,
• Gérard Berginc,
• Rose-Marie Sauvage,
• Jörg Ackermann and
• Ludovic Escoubas

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1065–1072, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.108

• NPs, the thin film layers will absorb in the visible wavelength range. This leads to applications of plasmonic thin film layers for photodetectors [10], photovoltaics [6][11] or nonreflective coatings [12][13][14]. In this works, silver NPs were chosen for their high electric field enhancement in the

Needs and challenges for assessing the environmental impacts of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs)

• Michelle Romero-Franco,
• Hilary A. Godwin,
• Muhammad Bilal and
• Yoram Cohen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 989–1014, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.101

• , while engaging stakeholders in the CEA process. CEA was evaluated via a case study [43] in which stakeholder engagement (expert elicitation) served to collect information about the risk potential of using multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in flame-retardant coatings in upholstery textiles. Expert

Vapor-phase-synthesized fluoroacrylate polymer thin films: thermal stability and structural properties

• Paul Christian and
• Anna Maria Coclite

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 933–942, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.95

• surfaces are used as biocompatible surfaces [1], antifouling coatings [2], and as low dielectric constant materials [3] for microelectronics. Perfluoroacrylates are particularly appealing for such applications, as they combine the hydrophobic properties of the fluorinated pendant groups with easy

• easily deposited with high control over the chemistry [9] and crystalline structure [10] of the resulting coatings. Different from other thin film polymer deposition techniques, iCVD takes place in a completely dry environment, eliminating the tedious need of dissolving the fluoropolymers. In addition

• stress caused some ruptures in the films and reduced the hydrophobic properties. EGDMA, added as a cross-linker, was shown to preserve the chemical stability and hydrophobicity of p-PFDA coatings while making the film more cohesive. The loss of the structural integrity in the PFDA homopolymer was

Synthesis of coaxial nanotubes of polyaniline and poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylate) by oxidative/initiated chemical vapor deposition

• Alper Balkan,
• Efe Armagan and
• Gozde Ozaydin Ince

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 872–882, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.89

• applications in light emitting diodes [15], photovoltaic cells [16][17], supercapacitors [18], sensors [19] and drug delivery [20]. During synthesis of these nanostructures, the use of solvents is a major drawback for homogeneity and conformal coatings, especially on high-aspect-ratio templates, due to wetting

• were done via oxidative chemical vapor deposition (oCVD) and initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) to enhance the control and sensitivity level of humidity sensors. By using the vapor deposition method oCVD, we achieved conformal coatings of PANI, which allowed us to produce nanotubes with high

Vapor deposition routes to conformal polymer thin films

• Priya Moni,
• Ahmed Al-Obeidi and
• Karen K. Gleason

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 723–735, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.76

• films; vapor deposition; Review Introduction Conformal coverage is achieved when a film of uniform thickness precisely follows the geometry of the underlying substrate. Conformal coatings allow for surface properties to be optimized independently from the choice of the bulk material and shape of the

• desired liquid or gas [2][3][4]. Conformal coatings can also ensure that micro or nano-device properties (e.g., conductance, capacitance) do not vary due to large thickness variations [5][6][7]. One motivation for vapor phase synthesis of polymer thin films over traditional solution methods (e.g., spin

• when it comes to this method. An alternate method, particularly to demonstrate the practicality of coatings, is to use SEM images before and after film deposition coupled with a relevant change in a device’s property. For example, Servi et al. used iCVD to deposit thin films (≈10 nm) of hydrophobic

Phospholipid arrays on porous polymer coatings generated by micro-contact spotting

• Sylwia Sekula-Neuner,
• Monica de Freitas,
• Lea-Marie Tröster,
• Tobias Jochum,
• Pavel A. Levkin,
• Michael Hirtz and
• Harald Fuchs

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 715–722, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.75

Calculating free energies of organic molecules on insulating substrates

• Julian Gaberle,
• David Z. Gao and
• Alexander L. Shluger

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 667–674, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.71

• of attention due to their versatility, functionality, and technological potential. Understanding the behaviour of self-assembling molecules is important for catalysis [1], coatings [2], sensors [3][4] and molecular electronics [5][6][7]. To design and fabricate surface structures relevant for these

α-((4-Cyanobenzoyl)oxy)-ω-methyl poly(ethylene glycol): a new stabilizer for silver nanoparticles

• Jana Lutze,
• Miguel A. Bañares,
• Marcos Pita,
• Andrea Haase,
• Andreas Luch and
• Andreas Taubert

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 627–635, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.67

• essential to obtain and retain stable particle dispersions [11][14][15][16]. Synthetic particles often have coatings made from polymers such as poly(vinyl pyrrolidone), poly(vinyl alcohol), or poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). PEG-based coatings are particularly popular [17][18]. This is also due to the high

• hydrophilicity and biological inertness of PEG, which renders PEG-stabilized NPs water-soluble and less susceptible to opsonization [19][20]. As a result, PEG-coated NPs are often referred to as “stealth” NPs [21][22]. Moreover, PEG coatings often lower the toxicity of otherwise toxic NPs [23][24]. For example

Fabrication of black-gold coatings by glancing angle deposition with sputtering

• Alan Vitrey,
• Rafael Alvarez,
• Alberto Palmero,
• María Ujué González and
• José Miguel García-Martín

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 434–439, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.46

• 10.3762/bjnano.8.46 Abstract The fabrication of black-gold coatings using sputtering is reported here. Glancing angle deposition with a rotating substrate is needed to obtain vertical nanostructures. Enhanced light absorption is obtained in the samples prepared in the ballistic regime with high tilt

• angles. Under these conditions the diameter distribution of the nanostructures is centered at about 60 nm and the standard deviation is large enough to obtain black-metal behavior in the visible range. Keywords: black coatings; black metals; glancing angle deposition; light absorption; sputtering

• ; Introduction Black-metal coatings are metallic coatings that exhibit a high absorption in a certain region of the electromagnetic spectra. They are of interest in a wide range of applications [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] such as radiative heat exchangers, solar energy absorbers, electrodes of photovoltaic cells

Methods for preparing polymer-decorated single exchange-biased magnetic nanoparticles for application in flexible polymer-based films

• Laurence Ourry,
• Delphine Toulemon,
• Souad Ammar and
• Fayna Mammeri

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 408–417, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.43

• images have been obtained for the two samples. There are spaces between the ENPs that are close to each other, suggesting that they are separated by PS coatings. Ligand exchange for improved separation of magnetic NPs In the previous sections, we demonstrated the feasibility of preparing polymer (PMMA or

Biological and biomimetic materials and surfaces

• Stanislav Gorb and
• Thomas Speck

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 403–407, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.42

• diving. The main interest in biomimetic products lies in the potential friction reduction and in antifouling properties. For example, this could be practically implemented by covering the underwater parts of ship hulls with Salvinia effect coatings. Ongoing projects with ship builders aim to realize this

Tailoring bifunctional hybrid organic–inorganic nanoadsorbents by the choice of functional layer composition probed by adsorption of Cu²⁺ ions

• Veronika V. Tomina,
• Inna V. Melnyk,
• Yuriy L. Zub,
• Aivaras Kareiva,
• Miroslava Vaclavikova,
• Gulaim A. Seisenbaeva and
• Vadim G. Kessler

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 334–347, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.36

• ; Introduction Materials with bi- or multifunctional surface layers have been of considerable interest in the recent years [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. Such materials possess, undoubtedly, certain advantages over the materials with monofunctional coatings. For example, multifunctional drug-delivery

Functionalized TiO₂ nanoparticles by single-step hydrothermal synthesis: the role of the silane coupling agents

• Antoine R. M. Dalod,
• Lars Henriksen,
• Tor Grande and
• Mari-Ann Einarsrud

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 304–312, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.33

• –shell structures or grafted nanoparticles [8], has resulted in new applications such as nanofiller for polymer nanocomposites [9][10], coatings [11], and biosensors [3][12]. Classical synthesis routes for surface-functionalized particles are following two steps: particles synthesis followed by a post

Colorimetric gas detection by the varying thickness of a thin film of ultrasmall PTSA-coated TiO₂ nanoparticles on a Si substrate

• Urmas Joost,
• Andris Šutka,
• Meeri Visnapuu,
• Aile Tamm,
• Meeri Lembinen,
• Mikk Antsov,
• Kathriin Utt,
• Krisjanis Smits,
• Ergo Nõmmiste and
• Vambola Kisand

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 229–236, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.25

• bonding. Different sensitivities to different VOC vapors can potentially be used to discriminate between various substances using multiple sensor arrays with different functional coatings. The presented sensor element is very cheap to manufacture and sensitive enough to give optical responses visible by

Phosphorus-doped silicon nanorod anodes for high power lithium-ion batteries

• Chao Yan,
• Qianru Liu,
• Jianzhi Gao,
• Zhibo Yang and
• Deyan He

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 222–228, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.24

• material, the conductivity of Si is not high enough for high-power battery applications. Conductive coatings are usually used to enhance the conductivity of Si-based anodes, but the conductivity inside the Si cannot be changed by this approach, resulting in limited improvements of the high-power

Performance of colloidal CdS sensitized solar cells with ZnO nanorods/nanoparticles

• Anurag Roy,
• Partha Pratim Das,
• Mukta Tathavadekar,
• Sumita Das and
• Parukuttyamma Sujatha Devi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 210–221, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.23

• annealed at 450 °C for 30 min. In addition, a ZnO-R layer was deposited over the ZnO-P layer to fabricate a ZnO nanoparticle/rod (ZnO-P+R) assembled film. For making CdS coatings on the ZnO photoanode films by CBD process, the fabricated films were dipped in 0.5 M of synthesized colloidal CdS dispersion in

Studying friction while playing the violin: exploring the stick–slip phenomenon

• Santiago Casado

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 159–166, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.16

• reiterative application of coatings as well during the performance. More frequent squeaky sounds and a decrease in the intensity using sample 2 indicate that the static friction capacity is reduced and that spurious sticking phases appear during the slipping range. The application of more rosin particles all

Impact of surface wettability on S-layer recrystallization: a real-time characterization by QCM-D

• Jagoba Iturri,
• Ana C. Vianna,
• Alberto Moreno-Cencerrado,
• Dietmar Pum,
• Uwe B. Sleytr and
• José Luis Toca-Herrera

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 91–98, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.10

• and dissipation factors, either individually or combined as the so-called Df plots, showed a much faster formation of crystalline coatings for hydrophobic samples, characterized by a phase-transition peak at around the 70% of the total mass adsorbed. This behavior has been proven to mimic, both in

• , gold) [5][6][7][8][9], with coatings of different nature (lipid bilayers, SAMs, polyelectrolyte multilayers) [10][11][12][13][14] and even on structures with an important contribution in the Z-axis, as recently reported for charged polyelectrolyte brushes [15]. However, some fundamental questions are