Correlative infrared nanospectroscopic and nanomechanical imaging of block copolymer microdomains

• Benjamin Pollard and
• Markus B. Raschke

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 605–612, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.53

• ]. However, the tapping phase is also affected by the intermittent formation of a capillary water neck between tip and sample as the cantilever oscillates, which can lead to either net attractive or net repulsive regimes depending on tapping amplitude, relative humidity, and local curvature of the tip and

• or capillary forces). It can reflect variations in the Hamaker constant of the van der Waals interaction, surface charges, or hydrophilicity [32]. It has been observed in PS-b-PMMA that PS preferentially adsorbs onto a gold surface compared to PMMA [33]. Thus, the higher attractive forces over PS

• operating in the repulsive capillary force regime. Tip–surface capillary forces are most studied in the context of resonant cantilever motion instead of the slower, nonresonant distance modulation employed in PF-QNM. Nonetheless, our modulation amplitude (15 nm), measured tip radius (16–25 nm), and the

Single pyrimidine discrimination during voltage-driven translocation of osmylated oligodeoxynucleotides via the α-hemolysin nanopore

• Yun Ding and
• Anastassia Kanavarioti

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 91–101, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.11

• dA10dCdA9 is monitored by capillary electrophoresis (CE) analysis. Any side-reaction, or any backbone degradation, or oxidative damage would have been detectable as additional peaks with typical detectability of 0.1%. Any product formed by these processes is expected to retain some nucleotides, and

• pore we also tested the later with a dA25 tail added either to the 3’- or the 5’-end (Table 1). The oligos used in this study were purchased from Integrated DNA Technologies, as PAGE-purified and desalted materials (Table 1). They were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis (CE) to assess purity, and

• ) testable. Experimental Part A, Materials, oligos, preparation of osmylated oligos, capillary electophoresis (CE) analysis, and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis: HPCE grade solution of 50 mM sodium tetraborate pH 9.3 was purchased from Agilent Technologies. A 4% aqueous osmium

pH-Triggered release from surface-modified poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles

• Manuel Häuser,
• Klaus Langer and
• Monika Schönhoff

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 2504–2512, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.260

• sample solutions were prepared in D2O. For quantitative NMR measurements of PDADMAC, a solution of resorcinol in D2O was used as an external standard. It was filled into a melting point capillary, which was flame-sealed on both ends and inserted on the central axis of an NMR tube containing the sample

Green synthesis, characterization and catalytic activity of natural bentonite-supported copper nanoparticles for the solvent-free synthesis of 1-substituted 1H-1,2,3,4-tetrazoles and reduction of 4-nitrophenol

• Akbar Rostami-Vartooni,
• Mohammad Alizadeh and
• Mojtaba Bagherzadeh

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 2300–2309, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.236

• NMR spectra were obtained on a Brucker Avance 90 MHz spectrometer, using tetramethylsilane (TMS) as an internal standard. The melting points were taken in open capillary tubes with a Büchi 510 melting point apparatus and were uncorrected. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) was performed on silica gel

A simple and efficient quasi 3-dimensional viscoelastic model and software for simulation of tapping-mode atomic force microscopy

• Santiago D. Solares

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 2233–2241, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.229

• forces (such as dispersion, electrostatic, magnetic), adhesive forces (such as chemical, capillary), viscoelastic forces, plastic forces, etc. For the case of viscoelasticity, in the most elaborate case one would need to solve the relaxation of the surface in 3D with the appropriate constitutive relation

Comprehensive characterization and understanding of micro-fuel cells operating at high methanol concentrations

• Aldo S. Gago,
• Juan-Pablo Esquivel,
• Neus Sabaté,
• Joaquín Santander and
• Nicolas Alonso-Vante

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 2000–2006, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.203

• ]. The use of a reference hydrogen electrode (RHE) allows one to studying the fuel crossover and the performance of the anode and the cathode, separately [19][20][21]. Unfortunately, this method requires the modification of the electrode compartments. On the other hand, through a Luggin capillary placed

• , in a simple and straightforward way, the performance of each electrode of a passive, air-breathing µDMFC, submitted to CH3OH up to 20 M. The stabilization and fuel consumption in the micro-system are also discussed. Results and Discussion E–I characteristics of the µDMFC The Luggin capillary was

• ) was achieved when adding 20 M CH3OH, but it lasted only 7.1 s as the fuel quickly poisoned the cathode. These observations were acquired by means of an RHE with a micro-capillary. It is simple and can be equally used for studying the performance of the anode and the cathode of other small fuel cells

Electrospray deposition of organic molecules on bulk insulator surfaces

• Antoine Hinaut,
• Rémy Pawlak,
• Ernst Meyer and
• Thilo Glatzel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1927–1934, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.195

• performed with a modified commercial MolecularSpray setup [33], of which a scheme is shown in Figure 1. The mixture of solvent and molecules is introduced by a syringe pump and a needle (1) into the first vacuum chamber (3) trough a capillary (2) by applying a bias of several kilovolts (1 to 5 kV). Behind

• the entrance capillary, three chambers (3, 4, 5) are used to pump solvent molecules and to reach the high vacuum level in the preparation chamber (7). The extra vacuum chamber (6) was added to further decrease the vacuum level during deposition, typical vacuum ranges are indicated in millibars. Two

• at an Ar+ pressure of p = 3 × 10−6 bar. The ESI setup (Figure 1) is connected to the UHV preparation chamber of the system. It is a commercial system from MolecularSpray [14][33]. After the spray is formed in air, highly charged droplets [49][50][51] enter by a capillary into the differential pumping

Temperature-dependent breakdown of hydrogen peroxide-treated ZnO and TiO₂ nanoparticle agglomerates

• Sinan Sabuncu and
• Mustafa Çulha

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1897–1903, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.193

• the temperature. The suspension was placed into a folded capillary cell for zeta potential measurement and the zeta potential of the NPs was measured at 30 °C. All experiments were performed at least three times. Results and Discussion Representative TEM images of the ZnO and TiO2 NPs are provided in

Two-phase equilibrium states in individual Cu–Ni nanoparticles: size, depletion and hysteresis effects

• Aram S. Shirinyan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1811–1820, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.185

• and foremost for pure materials) is the size-dependent melting temperature shift which is usually observed and explained in accordance to the so called capillary effect (surface-to-volume ratio or Laplace pressure) [1][2][3]. Somewhat less attention has been paid to binary and multicomponent

Continuum models of focused electron beam induced processing

• Milos Toth,
• Charlene Lobo,
• Vinzenz Friedli,
• Aleksandra Szkudlarek and
• Ivo Utke

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1518–1540, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.157

• produced by a capillary-style gas injection system. We then cover simple continuum models that are valid in the reaction rate limited regime (where net adsorbate transport via surface diffusion is negligible) and can be used to model FEBIP performed using continuous and pulsed electron beams, physisorbed

• contributions from primary, backscattered and secondary electrons, each of which has a unique spatial profile and a unique energy distribution [19]. Gas flow from a capillary-style gas injection system (GIS) FEBIP precursor gases are injected into a specimen chamber using one of two methods. In the first method

• pressure gauges. However, in the vast majority of FEBIP setups, a gas injection capillary is used to inject the precursor gas into a chamber that is pumped continuously by a high-vacuum pumping system. The low conduction of the capillary makes it the element that limits the flow rate and shapes the flux

Stiffness of sphere–plate contacts at MHz frequencies: dependence on normal load, oscillation amplitude, and ambient medium

• Jana Vlachová,
• Rebekka König and
• Diethelm Johannsmann

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 845–856, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.87

• first category of problems originates from the numerous assumptions in the formulation of the model. For example, the normal pressure is assumed to stay constant during tangential loading. A second set of limitations is related to the idealized conditions. The CM model ignores roughness, capillary

• coefficients (determined from Δf(u0) and ΔΓ(u0)) is better in water than in air. We suspect that capillary forces affect ΔΓ(u0) stronger than Δf(u0). A more detailed discussion of the matter would require an extension of the Cattaneo–Mindlin model by specific contributions from different forces. Such an

Capillary and van der Waals interactions on CaF₂ crystals from amplitude modulation AFM force reconstruction profiles under ambient conditions

• Annalisa Calò,
• Oriol Vidal Robles,
• Sergio Santos and
• Albert Verdaguer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 809–819, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.84

• attractive part of the force with relatively low noise and without missing information on critical ranges, particularly under ambient conditions where capillary interactions are believed to dominate. Thus a systematic study of the different profiles that may arise in such situations is still lacking. Here we

• employ the surfaces of CaF2, on which nanoscale water films form, to report on the range and force profiles that might originate by dynamic capillary interactions occurring between an AFM tip and nanoscale water patches. Three types of force profiles were observed under ambient conditions. One in which

• the force decay resembles the well-known inverse-square law typical of van der Waals interactions during the first 0.5–1 nm of decay, a second one in which the force decays almost linearly, in relatively good agreement with capillary force predicted by the constant chemical potential approximation

Applications of three-dimensional carbon nanotube networks

• Manuela Scarselli,
• Paola Castrucci,
• Francesco De Nicola,
• Ilaria Cacciotti,
• Francesca Nanni,
• Emanuela Gatto,
• Mariano Venanzi and
• Maurizio De Crescenzi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 792–798, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.82

• wettability is well described by a Cassie–Baxter model [20] for which a quite rough surface allows air trapping and ensures the high contact angle measured. In particular, in such a system pores in the random network (i.e., void fraction) favor air trapping due to the strong capillary force that the surface

Overview of nanoscale NEXAFS performed with soft X-ray microscopes

• Peter Guttmann and
• Carla Bittencourt

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 595–604, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.61

• resolution needed for NEXAFS studies is provided by the monochromator in front of the condenser. Therefore, a spectral resolution E/ΔE in the range of 5000 which is comparable to STXM setups can be reached. The achromatic condenser is a novel ellipsoidal shaped capillary which has an efficiency one order of

• contrast transfer function (CTF) shows higher contrast values at medium to higher spatial frequencies [25][29]. Combining partial coherence with a high-resolution objective, the capillary optic of the HZB TXM leads to high contrast Cobject for nanoscale features which reduces artefacts of the measured

• pinhole close to the sample is necessary which acts together with the condenser as a monochromator. Schematic setup of the HZB-TXM for NEXAFS studies: Monochromatic X-rays are collected with an achromatic capillary condenser to illuminate the sample. At each photon energy a highly magnified 2D image of

Filling of carbon nanotubes and nanofibres

• Reece D. Gately and
• Marc in het Panhuis

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 508–516, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.53

• employed to produce SWCNTs [67] and VGCNFs [68], as well as long (10 µm) MWCNTs that can be nested or joined to create long MWCNTs [69]. The three primary methods for opening TCNSs are: electrochemical filling, functionalization of the TCNSs, and a method that takes advantage of the capillary forces within

• the TCNSs. Although it is also possible to combine more than one technique (e.g., chemical and capillary [70]), here we describe the general principle of each method individually. Electrochemical filling Electrochemical deposition on both the interior and exterior surfaces of TCNSs has been achieved

• TCNSs, the selectivity of the membrane can be adapted to remove specific contaminants [82][83]. Tip functionalization has also been used as a method to selectively separate various analytes [84][85] and can be performed at room temperature using ozone and small amounts of water vapour [86]. Capillary

A surface acoustic wave-driven micropump for particle uptake investigation under physiological flow conditions in very small volumes

• Florian G. Strobl,
• Dominik Breyer,
• Phillip Link,
• Adriano A. Torrano,
• Christoph Bräuchle,
• Matthias F. Schneider and
• Achim Wixforth

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 414–419, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.41

• uptake of nanoparticles. Here, we present a versatile microfluidic device based on acoustic streaming induced by surface acoustic waves (SAWs). The device offers a convenient method for introducing fluid motion in standard cell culture chambers and for mimicking capillary blood flow. We show that shear

• produce. However, the shear rates that were reported so far for “conventional” SAW-driven microfluidic devices are usually one or two orders of magnitude below the typical shear rates of the capillary system and therefore not suitable for mimicking capillary blood flow. High input power to the SAW

Exploiting the hierarchical morphology of single-walled and multi-walled carbon nanotube films for highly hydrophobic coatings

• Francesco De Nicola,
• Paola Castrucci,
• Manuela Scarselli,
• Francesca Nanni,
• Ilaria Cacciotti and
• Maurizio De Crescenzi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 353–360, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.34

• evaporative drying of single-walled carbon nanotube film during its preparation [36][37][41]. The out-of-plane assembly is the result of the competition between attractive capillary forces and bending stress due to the elasticity of SWCNT film. Once the liquid is completely evaporated, a pattern of micrometer

Boosting the local anodic oxidation of silicon through carbon nanofiber atomic force microscopy probes

• Gemma Rius,
• Matteo Lorenzoni,
• Soichiro Matsui,
• Masaki Tanemura and
• Francesc Perez-Murano

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 215–222, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.20

• oxide (SiOx) patterns are in the single/double-digit nanometer-range [8]. The principle of LAO-AFM is the following: A water meniscus is formed in humid air when the tip comes to close proximity to the surface due to capillary condensation. The formation of the water meniscus can be triggered in non

The capillary adhesion technique: a versatile method for determining the liquid adhesion force and sample stiffness

• Daniel Gandyra,
• Stefan Walheim,
• Stanislav Gorb,
• Wilhelm Barthlott and
• Thomas Schimmel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 11–18, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.2

• also resulted in the measurement of an elastic modulus (Young’s modulus) for individual hairs of 3.0 × 105 N/cm2, which is within the typical range known for human hair. (3) Finally, the accuracy and validity of the capillary adhesion technique was proven by examining calibrated atomic force microscopy

• cantilevers, reproducing the spring constants calibrated using other methods. Keywords: adhesion; AFM cantilever; air layer; capillary forces; hairs; measurement; micromechanical systems; microstructures; Salvinia effect; Salvinia molesta; sensors; stiffness; superhydrophobic surfaces; Introduction Surface

• precise, simultaneous measurement of both the elastic and the adhesive properties of small mechanical systems is not trivial. Here, we present a novel technique, the capillary adhesion technique (CAT), for the combined determination of the adhesion force of a single small structural entity to a liquid and

Poly(styrene)/oligo(fluorene)-intercalated fluoromica hybrids: synthesis, characterization and self-assembly

• Giuseppe Leone,
• Francesco Galeotti,
• William Porzio,
• Guido Scavia,
• Luisa Barba,
• Gianmichele Arrighetti,
• Giovanni Ricci,
• Chiara Botta and
• Umberto Giovanella

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 2450–2458, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.254

• electron storage ring was monochromatized by a Si(111) double crystal monochromator, focused on the sample and collimated by a double set of slits giving a spot size of 0.2 × 0.2 mm. Both spin-coated films (50–80 nm thick) and powders inserted into a sealed capillary were examined at 25 °C. The beam was

Aquatic versus terrestrial attachment: Water makes a difference

• Petra Ditsche and
• Adam P. Summers

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 2424–2439, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.252

• , lock, clamp and spacer) significant differences have to be considered under water. For example, the main principles of dry adhesion, van der Waals forces and chemical bonding, which make a gecko stick to the ceiling, are weak under submerged conditions. Capillary forces are very important for wet

• in a terrestrial environment, especially in form of capillary forces. The aquatic or immersed environment is one in which water surrounds the organism completely, or at least the entire attachment organ and the attachment surface. Here, water plays a central role and must be considered to be

• [19][39]. If a fluid film is present, we have the conditions of wet adhesion. In wet adhesion two other forces contribute considerably to adhesion: (vi) capillary forces, and (vii) viscous forces. The latter is often called Stefan adhesion. A special case of wet adhesion is the secretion of adhesives

Synthesis of Pt nanoparticles and their burrowing into Si due to synergistic effects of ion beam energy losses

• Pravin Kumar,
• Udai Bhan Singh,
• Kedar Mal,
• Sunil Ojha,
• Indra Sulania,
• Dinakar Kanjilal,
• Dinesh Singh and
• Vidya Nand Singh

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1864–1872, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.197

• islands [20][28]. However, other effects such as ion-induced viscous flow, recoil implantation and thermodynamically driven capillary forces can also contribute to the formation of the buried NPs. When the ion beams with high electronic energy loss (dominates at high energies) pass through the material, a

• coupling. The melting of materials along the ion trajectory generates a surface tension gradient due to an imbalance of the surface and the interface energies, which further gives rise to mass transport through capillary action. The migration of metallic atoms and subsequent agglomeration can result in the

Probing viscoelastic surfaces with bimodal tapping-mode atomic force microscopy: Underlying physics and observables for a standard linear solid model

• Santiago D. Solares

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1649–1663, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.176

• can obscure or hinder the measurement of viscoelasticity by using intermittent-contact methods. Well-known interactions of this type include capillary forces [44], plastic behaviors [45], chemical adhesion and topographical artifacts [46] and even geometry-driven physical adhesion artifacts. As

Different endocytotic uptake mechanisms for nanoparticles in epithelial cells and macrophages

• Dagmar A. Kuhn,
• Dimitri Vanhecke,
• Benjamin Michen,
• Fabian Blank,
• Peter Gehr,
• Alke Petri-Fink and
• Barbara Rothen-Rutishauser

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1625–1636, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.174

• . Many cell types such as the capillary endothelium, type I epithelial cells, muscle cells as well as fibroblasts, exhibit caveolin-mediated endocytosis, which occurs at the site of the lipid rafts [20][26]. These rafts are plasma membrane regions (subdomains), which consist of glycosphingolipids and

• observed in several cell types including capillary endothelium, type I alveolar epithelial cells, smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts [20]. Therefore, this result supports the cell type specific mechanism of this uptake. The colocalization of clathrin heavy chain and the 40 nm PS NP fluorescence in the

From sticky to slippery: Biological and biologically-inspired adhesion and friction

• Stanislav N. Gorb and
• Kerstin Koch

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1450–1451, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.157

• Beilstein-Institut for their continuous great support. Stanislav N. Gorb and Kerstin Koch Kiel and Kleve, July 2014 Different physical phenomena contribute to adhesion and friction in biological systems. From left to right: intermolecular van der Waals (vdW) interactions, chemical bonding, capillary