First examples of organosilica-based ionogels: synthesis and electrochemical behavior

• Andreas Taubert,
• Ruben Löbbicke,
• Barbara Kirchner and
• Fabrice Leroux

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 736–751, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.77

• with zoom-ins to the central areas of the plot vs temperature. Variation of log(σ·T) versus 1000/T for all IGs. The change in the energy of activation likely does not stem from a weight loss process such as a weak dehydration because there is no apparent thermal event below 100 °C. However, data

Ion beam profiling from the interaction with a freestanding 2D layer

• Ivan Shorubalko,
• Kyoungjun Choi,
• Michael Stiefel and
• Hyung Gyu Park

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 682–687, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.73

• beam source. For imaging the milled pores we use scanning electron microscopy (SEM), scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and helium ion microscopy (HIM). All methods give similar results regarding the measured focused ion beam profiles. Finally, we discuss technical limitations and

• , freestanding graphene membranes were exposed to a Ga+ focused ion beam. The smallest beam aperture gives a beam current value of 1.5 pA. A suspended graphene layer is then exposed in a single-pixel exposure mode. Figure 1a shows a STEM bright field (BF) image of seven pores milled into graphene with different

• : squares for 1.5 pA and circles for 18 pA beam current. STEM dark field (DF) images of a pore array created with 18 pA beam current are shown in the inset of Figure 1d. The pore diameter vs ion exposure dose curves have very distinct shape Figure 1d. Pore diameters steeply increase for the low exposure

Self-assembly of silicon nanowires studied by advanced transmission electron microscopy

• Marta Agati,
• Guillaume Amiard,
• Vincent Le Borgne,
• Paola Castrucci,
• Richard Dolbec,
• Maurizio De Crescenzi,
• My Alì El Khakani and
• Simona Boninelli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 440–445, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.47

• Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Roma “Tor Vergata”, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, Roma 00133, Italy, Tekna Plasma Systems Inc., 2935 Industrial Blvd., Sherbrooke QC-J1L 2T9, Canada 10.3762/bjnano.8.47 Abstract Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) was successfully applied to the analysis

• possess a nanoparticle at their tip. STEM energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy combined with electron tomography performed on these nanostructures revealed that they contain iron, clearly demonstrating that the short ICP-synthesized SiNWs grew via an iron-catalyzed vapor–liquid–solid (VLS) mechanism

• within the plasma reactor. Both the STEM tomography and STEM-EDX analysis contributed to gain further insight into the self-assembly process. In the long-term, this approach might be used to optimize the synthesis of VLS-grown SiNWs via ICP as a competitive technique to the well-established bottom-up

Role of oxygen in wetting of copper nanoparticles on silicon surfaces at elevated temperature

• Tapas Ghosh and
• Biswarup Satpati

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 425–433, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.45

• the high-angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM-HAADF). After the TEM analysis, the same samples were transferred to a rapid thermal annealing unit (model: JETFIRST100 jipelec) and annealing was performed in air, oxygen and nitrogen atmospheres, one by one. The rapid

• field TEM image in Figure 1a and the STEM-HAADF image in Figure 1b show the deposited copper nanoparticles on a silicon substrate. The elemental composition is presented by the EDX mapping. Figure 1e and Figure 1f show the silicon (yellow) and copper (blue) elemental mapping, respectively, collected

• from a region marked by an orange rectangle in the STEM-HAADF image in Figure 1b. The thermal oxidation was performed in a rapid thermal annealing system at 500 °C for 1 min. We have analyzed the phase of the as-deposited material and the samples annealed under oxygen atmosphere by selected area

Biological and biomimetic materials and surfaces

• Stanislav Gorb and
• Thomas Speck

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

• shrubby monocotyledons plants with an emphasis on the structure–function relationships in Dracaena marginata stems [11]. Based on the results of microscopy and mechanical testing, a model of mechanical interactions between tissues and vascular bundles in the D. marginata stem was generated, and the

Uptake of the proteins HTRA1 and HTRA2 by cells mediated by calcium phosphate nanoparticles

• Olga Rotan,
• Katharina N. Severin,
• Simon Pöpsel,
• Alexander Peetsch,
• Melisa Merdanovic,
• Michael Ehrmann and
• Matthias Epple

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 381–393, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.40

• humidified atmosphere and cultivated according to standard cell culture protocols. A primary cell culture of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) was cultivated using mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) growth medium, supplemented according to the standard cultivation protocol. Approximately 12 h prior to the

Optical and photocatalytic properties of TiO₂ nanoplumes

• Viviana Scuderi,
• Massimo Zimbone,
• Maria Miritello,
• Giuseppe Nicotra,
• Giuliana Impellizzeri and
• Vittorio Privitera

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 190–195, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.20

• statistical analysis showed that he roughness of the surface and the porosity of the structure increase with the etching time. In Figure 2a, a cross-sectional view STEM image of Ti (430-190) is reported. The sample shows the presence of a nanostructured material. The etching clearly expands from the surface

• analyses in plan view were performed by a field emission Zeiss Supra 25 microscope. TEM analyses were performed in cross-sectional view with a JEOL JEM ARM200CF in scanning mode (STEM) at 60 kV of beam acceleration voltage using the microscope installed at the Beyond-Nano laboratory in Catania (Italy). The

Influence of hydrofluoric acid treatment on electroless deposition of Au clusters

• Rachela G. Milazzo,
• Antonio M. Mio,
• Giuseppe D’Arrigo,
• Emanuele Smecca,
• Alessandra Alberti,
• Gabriele Fisichella,
• Filippo Giannazzo,
• Corrado Spinella and
• Emanuele Rimini

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 183–189, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.19

• plating solution. The morphology of gold was examined with plan view TEM and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) in high-angle annular dark-field imaging (HAADF) Z-contrast (atomic number) imaging mode, while the crystalline structure was analyzed in detail with X-ray diffraction. Figure 4a

• and Figure 4b are the plan view TEM of the samples before and after the HF postdeposition treatment for 70 s. The more discernible effect is a pronounced change in the fractional covered area that varies by about 15%. By using a STEM detector with a large inner radius (a HAADF detector) electrons are

• collected which are not Bragg scattered. As such HAADF images show little or no diffraction effects, and their intensity is approximately proportional to Z2. The HF postdeposition treatment levels off the intensity distribution of the corresponding STEM micrograph, indicating a more uniform thickness for

A novel electrochemical nanobiosensor for the ultrasensitive and specific detection of femtomolar-level gastric cancer biomarker miRNA-106a

• Maryam Daneshpour,
• Kobra Omidfar and
• Hossein Ghanbarian

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 2023–2036, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.193

• concentrations in eight independent assays. Quantification of miR-106a by stem-loop RT-PCR After preparing a serial dilution of miR-106a, cDNA was synthesized using s stem-loop primer and M-MuLV reverse transcriptase, and then quantified on an Applied Biosystems 7900HT sequence detection system by using a SYBR

Organoclay hybrid materials as precursors of porous ZnO/silica-clay heterostructures for photocatalytic applications

• Marwa Akkari,
• Pilar Aranda,
• Abdessalem Ben Haj Amara and
• Eduardo Ruiz-Hitzky

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1971–1982, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.188

• using a JEOL 2100F STEM microscopy, operating at 200 kV equipped with an EDX (INCA x-sight of Oxford Instruments) detector for semiquantitative analysis. The specimens for TEM were prepared by putting the as-grown products in ethanol and immersing them in an ultrasonic bath for 15 min, then dropping a

Thickness-modulated tungsten–carbon superconducting nanostructures grown by focused ion beam induced deposition for vortex pinning up to high magnetic fields

• Ismael García Serrano,
• Javier Sesé,
• Isabel Guillamón,
• Hermann Suderow,
• Sebastián Vieira,
• Manuel Ricardo Ibarra and
• José María De Teresa

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1698–1708, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.162

• , whereas for the samples with higher pitches (120 and 140 nm), the corrugation is greater than 50%. The W–C samples were further characterized by means of scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) in a 300 kV F30-Tecnai apparatus by FEI. In the STEM experiments performed, the electron beam was

• by means of energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy has been performed in the thicker and thinner parts of the deposits. A 3% higher Ga content and 8% lower W content is observed in the thicker parts of the deposits compared to the thinner parts. Such differences give rise to the periodic STEM

• along the x direction. Cross-sectional SEM micrographs of a sample with 60 nm pitch (a), a sample with 100 nm pitch (b) and the flat sample (c). The y and z axes correspond to the short sides of the film and the thickness direction, respectively. Scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) study of

Nano- and microstructured materials for in vitro studies of the physiology of vascular cells

• Alexandra M. Greiner,
• Adria Sales,
• Hao Chen,
• Sarah A. Biela,
• Dieter Kaufmann and
• Ralf Kemkemer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1620–1641, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.155

• expression, stem cell differentiation and even the epigenetic state of a cell (Figure 5) [10][12][79][185][186][187][188][189][190][191][192][193][194][195][196][197]. In vivo, the ECM where ECs and SMCs attach to, provide them micro- and nanotopographical stimuli to regulate their behavior [58]. Therefore

Biomechanics of selected arborescent and shrubby monocotyledons

• Tom Masselter,
• Tobias Haushahn,
• Samuel Fink and
• Thomas Speck

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1602–1619, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.154

• , Young’s modulus and tensile strength of the vascular bundles in Dracaena marginata. These analyses allowed for generating a model for the mechanical interaction of tissues and vascular bundles of the stem in D. marginata as well as filling major “white spots” in property charts for biological materials

• properties concentrate on two hierarchical levels: On a first level, the radial and axial Young’s moduli of stem tissues in the five “woody” monocotyledon species are analysed (Figure 2A). In addition, in stems of Dracaena marginata, which was chosen as a representative model plant for “woody” monocotyledons

• investigations on the branching mechanics of “woody” monocots. In addition, these data can be incorporated in finite element models at cell and tissue level that mirror the anisotropy and the stress–strain behaviour of the investigated plants at stem level [6][7]. This allows for a deepened understanding of the

Influence of hydrothermal synthesis parameters on the properties of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles

• Sylwia Kuśnieruk,
• Jacek Wojnarowicz,
• Agnieszka Chodara,
• Tadeusz Chudoba,
• Stanislaw Gierlotka and
• Witold Lojkowski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1586–1601, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.153

• proliferation of such malignant cells was inhibited more efficiently by the occurrence of the nanoscale effect than by HAp particle morphology [9]. Another study analyzed the effects of different sized nano-HAp – ranging from 20 to 80 nm – on the proliferation of bone-related cells (bone marrow mesenchyme stem

• cells and osteosarcoma cells) [10]. The cell culture experiment confirmed that in comparison to conventional HAp, cytophilicity of the nanophase mineral improved with nano-HAp. In addition, an increased viability and spread of stem cells was observed for nano-HAP, in particular for the smallest 20 nm

On the pathway of cellular uptake: new insight into the interaction between the cell membrane and very small nanoparticles

• Claudia Messerschmidt,
• Daniel Hofmann,
• Anja Kroeger,
• Katharina Landfester,
• Volker Mailänder and
• Ingo Lieberwirth

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1296–1311, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.121

• : ATP depletion; calcium crystallization; cytotoxicity; endocytosis; HeLa cells; LDH; mesenchymal stem cells; morphology; necrosis; particle size; silica nanoparticles; TEM; Introduction Silicon dioxide nanoparticles (SiNPs) are used in a wide range of commercially available products to improve product

• particle is enclosed by a membrane but still connected to the outer cell membrane. The intensity profiles of the individual surrounded particles in scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) micrographs are clearly indicative of a lipid membrane as the measured thickness of the surrounding membrane

• is approximately 4 nm (Figure 5A,D). This roughly is the thickness of two lipid tails in a phospholipid membrane. The distinct contrast in the STEM micrograph is attributed to the existence of C–C double bonds in the bilayer structure, which are stained by OsO4. Furthermore, micrographs show

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

• transmission and scanning mode, using bright and dark field (BF, DF), HAADF detector and an energy filter, in particular using analytical microscopy in the nanoareas in the STEM mode. The X-ray studies of the analysed materials were carried out on an PANalytical X’Pert Pro diffractometer. The measurement was

• taken in bright field and dark field mode and using an HAADF detector. The results of the diffraction studies, obtained using analytical electron microscopy in nanoareas in the STEM mode, confirmed the phase composition and the crystalline structure from the earlier X-ray study. The diffraction pattern

• images from single particles obtained using analytical electron microscopy in nanoareas in the STEM mode and the resolved diffraction patterns for TiO2 and Bi2O3 nanoparticles. An SEM image of the morphology of PAN nanofibres taken at an electrode distance of d1 = 20 cm and a histogram showing the

Multiwalled carbon nanotube hybrids as MRI contrast agents

• Nikodem Kuźnik and
• Mateusz M. Tomczyk

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1086–1103, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.102

• their potential as CAs exclusively in one of the MRI modes (T1 or T2). Further requirements consisted in better biocompatibility with the targeting of tumor cells, coupling with stem cells as well as crossing the cell membrane and blood–brain barrier. Finally, involving CNT activity in other diagnostic

• ligand was coupled with a lipid chain, which was expected to enhance adsorption on the surface of the nanotube. The heptadentate DTPA ligand (L1), in turn, secured permanent coordination of Gd3+ in the new hybrid Gd-L1/MWCNT#Richard. Vittorio non-covalently combined pristine MWCNT with mesenchymal stem

• samples in several, especially biocompatible, media, such as water, saline, buffers, plasma, serum, or even cell cultures [18][33][34]. Stable dispersion is obtained by at least several minutes of sonication. Wu proved the stability of SPIO/oMWCNT#Wu in water for two weeks [38]. Models with stem cells

Photocurrent generation in carbon nanotube/cubic-phase HfO₂ nanoparticle hybrid nanocomposites

• Protima Rauwel,
• Augustinas Galeckas,
• Martin Salumaa,
• Frédérique Ducroquet and
• Erwan Rauwel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1075–1085, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.101

• TEM. The various HAADF-STEM images presented here give an overview of the morphology of the hybrid nanomaterial. Most of the HfO2 nanoparticles are agglomerated and appear to be attached only in certain particular regions of the CNT. In our previous study we observed that cubic HfO2 nanoparticles on

• overview of Figure 1a, the nanoparticles seem to decorate only specific sites either singularly or in agglomerates. A higher magnification HAADF-STEM image in Figure 1b further reinforces the selective decoration of the HfO2 nanoparticles as several regions of the CNT are devoid of nanoparticles. An

• may induce band bending in the electronic structure, amenable to photocurrent generation. Conclusion We have successfully synthesized a hybrid material composed of nonfunctionalized CNTs and HfO2 nanoparticles capable of generating a photocurrent under UV excitation. STEM studies have shown us that

Improved biocompatibility and efficient labeling of neural stem cells with poly(L-lysine)-coated maghemite nanoparticles

• Igor M. Pongrac,
• Marina Dobrivojević,
• Lada Brkić Ahmed,
• Michal Babič,
• Miroslav Šlouf,
• Daniel Horák and
• Srećko Gajović

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 926–936, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.84

• , 16206 Prague 6, Czech Republic 10.3762/bjnano.7.84 Abstract Background: Cell tracking is a powerful tool to understand cellular migration, dynamics, homing and function of stem cell transplants. Nanoparticles represent possible stem cell tracers, but they differ in cellular uptake and side effects

• . Their properties can be modified by coating with different biocompatible polymers. To test if a coating polymer, poly(L-lysine), can improve the biocompatibility of nanoparticles applied to neural stem cells, poly(L-lysine)-coated maghemite nanoparticles were prepared and characterized. We evaluated

• their cellular uptake, the mechanism of internalization, cytotoxicity, viability and proliferation of neural stem cells, and compared them to the commercially available dextran-coated nanomag®-D-spio nanoparticles. Results: Light microscopy of Prussian blue staining revealed a concentration-dependent

Novel roles for well-known players: from tobacco mosaic virus pests to enzymatically active assemblies

• Claudia Koch,
• Fabian J. Eber,
• Carlos Azucena,
• Alexander Förste,
• Stefan Walheim,
• Thomas Schimmel,
• Alexander M. Bittner,
• Holger Jeske,
• Hartmut Gliemann,
• Sabine Eiben,
• Fania C. Geiger and
• Christina Wege

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 613–629, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.54

• specific RNA stem-loop of the OAs [49][50][51][52] triggers its transformation into the helical state, thereby threading the 5’-portion of the RNA into the nascent protein helix. It becomes incorporated between the CP layers and will form a “traveling loop” accessible on the “top” end of the particle [35

In situ observation of deformation processes in nanocrystalline face-centered cubic metals

• Aaron Kobler,
• Christian Brandl,
• Horst Hahn and
• Christian Kübel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 572–580, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.50

• rupture of the film. In conclusion, conventional deformation mechanisms are still active in nanocrystalline metals but with different weighting as compared with conventional materials with coarser grains. Keywords: ACOM-STEM; deformation mechanisms; in situ straining; nanocrystalline metals; orientation

• metals are beyond the spatial resolution limits of EBSD (>20 nm) [36]. Here, we demonstrate a combination of automated crystal orientation mapping (ACOM) in scanning TEM (STEM) modus with in situ straining [37][38][39] of NC metals to follow the GB-mediated processes (GB sliding and grain growth) and

• be separated from real local crystallographic changes [38]. In situ ACOM-STEM is applied to magnetron-sputtered NC thin film samples exhibiting a predominately columnar grain structure. In the following, we concentrate on results from an annealed NC Pd (ncPda) thin film with ≈50 nm thickness

Vibration-mediated Kondo transport in molecular junctions: conductance evolution during mechanical stretching

• David Rakhmilevitch and
• Oren Tal

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 2417–2422, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.249

• inter-electrode distance. We note that side peaks accompanying a Kondo resonance, that show a monotonous shift in response to junction stretching, were previously reported [12]. The background and the Kondo conductance contributions stem from transport through different molecular orbitals, while direct

Ultrastructural changes in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus induced by positively charged silver nanoparticles

• Dulce G. Romero-Urbina,
• Humberto H. Lara,
• J. Jesús Velázquez-Salazar,
• M. Josefina Arellano-Jiménez,
• Eduardo Larios,
• Anand Srinivasan,
• Jose L. Lopez-Ribot and
• Miguel José Yacamán

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 2396–2405, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.246

• induced by AgNPs, which were investigated using various electron microscopy techniques, such as high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), high angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray

• bacterial cells (see below in Figure 7b). Electron microscopy of treated MSSA and MRSA HAADF-STEM images of treated MRSA and MSSA cells demonstrate the affinity between silver and osmium that can generate electron-dense particles around the bacterial cell wall, as seen in Figure 4a; specific cases of AgNPs

• interior AgNPs is 5 to 9 nm, whereas those found on the exteriors the cells after treatment have a size range of 9.5 to 33.0 nm. The mean size values were 5.9 and 18.6 nm, respectively. Minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) The AgNP MIC against both MSSA (UAMS1) and MRSA (TCH1516) was 12.5 ppm. STEM and

Nanostructured surfaces by supramolecular self-assembly of linear oligosilsesquioxanes with biocompatible side groups

• Maria Nowacka,
• Anna Kowalewska and
• Tomasz Makowski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 2377–2387, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.244

• underlying matrix. For example, surfaces carrying COOH groups were applied for studies on the effect of surface wettability on protein adsorption and adhesion of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and HeLa cells [3], human fibroblasts [14], human mesenchymal stem cells [15][22], corneal

Green and energy-efficient methods for the production of metallic nanoparticles

• Mitra Naghdi,
• Mehrdad Taheran,
• Satinder K. Brar,
• M. Verma,
• R. Y. Surampalli and
• J. R. Valero

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 2354–2376, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.243

• ), amine (–NH) and aliphatic C–H involved in the capping of the NPs [42]. In another study, they extracted the stem bark of Callicarpa maingayi into a methanol/water solution to use it as reducing and stabilizing agent. This time, Ag NPs were spherical with the average diameter of 12.40 nm and same