The effect of metal surface nanomorphology on the output performance of a TENG

• Yiru Wang,
• Xin Zhao,
• Yang Liu and
• Wenjun Zhou

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 298–312, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.25

• through the “contact and separation” method. One cyclic period of contact and separation was set to 1.5 s (contact of 0.75 s and separation of 0.75 s). The applied force from the mechanical shaker was fixed at 100 N. Output voltage and current were measured using a digital oscilloscope and an

• of this process. After 30 s of deposition under different conditions, different morphologies of nanocrystals, including pyramids, strips, and spheroids, were obtained (Figure 2). At the beginning of the experiment, Cu and PTFE are in contact through an external force. The surface charge on Cu is

• positive, and that on PTFE is negative (Figure 3a). A separation is caused by the removal of the external force, and electrons flow from the PTFE electrode to the Cu electrode (Figure 3b). Then, charge exchange is carried out at the contacts. Electrical equilibrium is formed when the Cu and the PTFE are

Systematic studies into uniform synthetic protein nanoparticles

• Nahal Habibi,
• Ava Mauser,
• Jeffery E. Raymond and
• Joerg Lahann

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 274–283, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.22

• , particularly as a combination therapy [10]. To leverage the endogenous properties of albumin, nab technology uses a high-pressure manufacturing process to force hydrophobic drugs into the internal hydrophobic pockets of human serum albumin (HSA) [11]. This leads to the formation of albumin-bound, paclitaxel

Relationship between corrosion and nanoscale friction on a metallic glass

• Haoran Ma and
• Roland Bennewitz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 236–244, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.18

• are promising materials for microdevices, although corrosion and friction limit their effectiveness and durability. We investigated nanoscale friction on a metallic glass in corrosive solutions after different periods of immersion time using atomic force microscopy to elucidate the influence of

• surface dissolution at the interface of the two layers. The findings contribute to the understanding of mechanical contacts with metallic glasses under corrosive conditions by exploring the interrelation of microscopic corrosion mechanisms and nanoscale friction. Keywords: atomic force microscopy (AFM

• friction force microscopy. Here, we apply the same method to investigate differences in corrosion of ZrNiTi MGs after different periods of immersion time between two different solutions. On the one hand, the influence of corrosion on nanoscale friction on MGs is evaluated. On the other hand

Thermal oxidation process on Si(113)-(3 × 2) investigated using high-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy

• Hiroya Tanaka,
• Shinya Ohno,
• Kazushi Miki and
• Masatoshi Tanaka

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 172–181, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.12

• indicated by the solid arrow, at an oxygen exposure of 31.9 L. It was reported that an attractive force is induced between the steps effectively on Si(113) at high temperatures [15]. Therefore, it is plausible that the fluctuation at the step edge is due to the competition between the step-flow etching and

• faceting associated with the attractive force between the steps. It is noted that the trend of step bunching with the steps along the direction is consistent with the observation in the literature [16], which may be due to the effective attractive interaction between the steps [15]. No dark depression

Theoretical understanding of electronic and mechanical properties of 1T′ transition metal dichalcogenide crystals

• Seyedeh Alieh Kazemi,
• Sadegh Imani Yengejeh,
• Vei Wang,
• William Wen and
• Yun Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 160–171, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.11

• force [43][44]. Gamma-centered k-point meshes with a reciprocal space resolution of 0.04 × 2π/Å were utilized. Prior to the calculations, the lattice constants were optimized. All atoms were allowed to relax until the forces were smaller than 0.02 eV/Å. The convergence criterion for the self-consistent

• values of all TMDs are comparatively similar, which are about 0.2. The Poisson’s ratio measures the deformation in the material in a direction perpendicular to the applied force. Our results suggest that the average deformations of TMDs are similar in directions perpendicular to the direction of loading

A comprehensive review on electrospun nanohybrid membranes for wastewater treatment

• Senuri Kumarage,
• Imalka Munaweera and
• Nilwala Kottegoda

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 137–159, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.10

• dominant. When the voltage is high enough for the electrostatic forces of the Taylor cone to overcome the surface tension and viscous force, jet initiation happens, and a polymer jet will reach the ground collector completing the circuit. Polymers with high molecular weight will form ultrafine fibers due

• balance of viscoelastic properties yielded smooth fibers [22]. Very high concentrations will yield a highly viscous solution that is impossible to force through the syringe needle. Therefore, it is crucial to maintain an optimum solution concentration for better fiber morphology. 3.2.2 Solution viscosity

• the solution, the balance of electrostatic forces, surface tension, and viscoelastic properties leads to bead-free fibers. Further increase of the solution viscosity yields thick fibers with increased diameters while at very high viscosities, the solution is difficult to force through the needle due

Influence of magnetic domain walls on all-optical magnetic toggle switching in a ferrimagnetic GdFe film

• Rahil Hosseinifar,
• Evangelos Golias,
• Ivar Kumberg,
• Quentin Guillet,
• Karl Frischmuth,
• Sangeeta Thakur,
• Mario Fix,
• Manfred Albrecht,
• Florian Kronast and
• Wolfgang Kuch

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 74–81, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.5

• mechanisms: The first one is related to the shape of the magnetic domains as they are left directly after the all-optical switching and the force on the domain wall resulting from the balance of domain-wall and magnetostatic energy. Sharp domain features that would occur where domain walls are close to the

Nanoscale friction and wear of a polymer coated with graphene

• Robin Vacher and
• Astrid S. de Wijn

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 63–73, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.4

• different mechanisms at play in such systems. During the last few decades, with the development of the atomic force microscope [8] and increases in computing power, it has become possible to investigate more deeply and develop an understanding of the mechanisms that play a role in the friction of graphene

• using LAMMPS [29]. We use the same simulation setup for the polymer as in our previous work [23]. We summarise this setup below. Interaction potentials PVA is described using a united-atom force field developed by Müller-Plathe and co-workers [30]. Each polymer particle represents a monomer of one

• deposited graphene on the surface of the polymer substrate by placing the graphene sheet at around 90 Å from the surface and then applying a force to each of the graphene carbon atoms equal to 0.00005 eV/Å (8.0 × 10−14 N) for a period of 75 ps, after which it sits on the surface and has stopped moving. The

Effect of lubricants on the rotational transmission between solid-state gears

• Huang-Hsiang Lin,
• Jonathan Heinze,
• Alexander Croy,
• Rafael Gutiérrez and
• Gianaurelio Cuniberti

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 54–62, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.3

• situation becomes very different since a continuum description of the materials might not be sufficient. The development of the atomic force microscope (AFM) [19] and the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) [20][21] has allowed for visualization and manipulation of nanoscale gears [22]. Those gears can be

• MD simulations. For the force fields, we choose the adaptive intermolecular reactive empirical bond order (AIREBO) potential [59]. This potential was designed for hydrocarbon systems and can reach reasonable densities for the molecules we will use later. We have used two different protocols. For

• ], which cannot be captured by a Lennard-Jones plane as used in our simulations. To further investigate those open questions, a more powerful pair potential such as the reactive force field (ReaxFF) [66] or a deep learning force field [67] approach might be suitable to address the problem. Finally, we hope

Topographic signatures and manipulations of Fe atoms, CO molecules and NaCl islands on superconducting Pb(111)

• Carl Drechsel,
• Philipp D’Astolfo,
• Jung-Ching Liu,
• Thilo Glatzel,
• Rémy Pawlak and
• Ernst Meyer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1–9, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.1

• microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) are required to accurately disentangle structural and electronic properties of atomic or molecular structures on these superconducting platforms. STM/AFM generally allows for a controlled repositioning of adsorbates, both by lateral and vertical

• features resemble typical patterns observed in friction force microscopy (FFM) [28][38] or scanning tunneling hydrogen microscopy (SThM) [70][71], since the trapped Fe atom senses the surface potential in analogy to the probing tip of FFM. For clarity, we overlay the Pb(111) surface lattice on top of the

Measurement of polarization effects in dual-phase ceria-based oxygen permeation membranes using Kelvin probe force microscopy

• Kerstin Neuhaus,
• Christina Schmidt,
• Liudmila Fischer,
• Wilhelm Albert Meulenberg,
• Ke Ran,
• Joachim Mayer and
• Stefan Baumann

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1380–1391, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.102

• was used as a model to demonstrate that a combination of polarization relaxation measurements and Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM)-based mapping of the Volta potential before and after the end of polarization can be used to determine the chemical diffusion coefficient of the ceria component of the

• composite. The KPFM measurements were performed at room temperature and show diffusion coefficients in the range of 3 × 10−13 cm2·s−1, which is comparable to values measured for single-phase Gd-doped ceria thin films using the same method. Keywords: ceria; diffusion coefficient; Kelvin probe force

• |ceria, ceria|electron conductor, and electron conductor|electron conductor). Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) is an atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based measurement method that can measure the local surface potential (or Volta potential) of the sample [18][19]. The surface potential is a sensitive

Alteration of nanomechanical properties of pancreatic cancer cells through anticancer drug treatment revealed by atomic force microscopy

• Xiaoteng Liang,
• Shuai Liu,
• Xiuchao Wang,
• Dan Xia and
• Qiang Li

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1372–1379, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.101

• regulation of cell activity, and hence to the health level of organisms. Here, the morphology and mechanical properties of normal pancreatic cells (HDPE6-C7) and pancreatic cancer cells (AsPC-1, MIA PaCa-2, BxPC-3) were studied by atomic force microscopy. In addition, the mechanical properties of MIA PaCa-2

• aggressive cancer cell BxPC-3. In addition, the Young's modulus of MIA PaCa-2 rises with the increasing of DOX concentration. This study may provide a new strategy of detecting cancer, and evaluate the possible interaction of drugs on cells. Keywords: anticancer drug; atomic force microscopy; nanomechanical

• from measuring the alteration of cellular mechanics, which provides a guide for the innovation and development of anticancer drugs [11]. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has matured into a forceful nanoscale platform for imaging biological samples and quantifying biomechanical properties of living cells

Polarity in cuticular ridge development and insect attachment on leaf surfaces of Schismatoglottis calyptrata (Araceae)

• Venkata A. Surapaneni,
• Tobias Aust,
• Thomas Speck and
• Marc Thielen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1326–1338, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.98

• Surapaneni and co-workers [23]. A highly sensitive force transducer (FORT 25, force range: 0–0.25 N, World Precision Instruments Inc., Sarasota, USA) was used to measure maximum walking frictional forces of insects on the leaf surfaces. The elytra of each beetle was attached to the force transducer using a

• median of the 15 highest local maxima with a minimum interval of 3 s between neighbouring force peaks was extracted. Supporting Information File 3 shows a potato beetle walking on the leaf surface. The average mass of the beetles was 0.17 g. The experiments were conducted under an average temperature of

• 23.8 ± 0.4 °C and humidity of 41.5 ± 2.1% RH. Statistics The roughness, traction force and cell size data were analyzed using Kruskal–Wallis test followed by pairwise multiple comparisons using Dunn’s test adjusted with the Bonferroni correction. All statistical tests were performed using R software

Identifying diverse metal oxide nanomaterials with lethal effects on embryonic zebrafish using machine learning

• Richard Liam Marchese Robinson,
• Haralambos Sarimveis,
• Philip Doganis,
• Xiaodong Jia,
• Marianna Kotzabasaki,
• Christiana Gousiadou,
• Stacey Lynn Harper and
• Terry Wilkins

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1297–1325, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.97

Cantilever signature of tip detachment during contact resonance AFM

• Devin Kalafut,
• Ryan Wagner,
• Maria Jose Cadena,
• Anil Bajaj and
• Arvind Raman

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1286–1296, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.96

• Devin Kalafut Ryan Wagner Maria Jose Cadena Anil Bajaj Arvind Raman School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA 10.3762/bjnano.12.96 Abstract Contact resonance atomic force microscopy, piezoresponse force microscopy, and electrochemical strain microscopy are

• atomic force microscopy modes in which the cantilever is held in contact with the sample at a constant average force while monitoring the cantilever motion under the influence of a small, superimposed vibrational signal. Though these modes depend on permanent contact, there is a lack of detailed analysis

• connect the qualitative and quantitative behavior to experimental features. Keywords: atomic force microscopy (AFM); contact resonance; nonlinear normal mode (NNM); tip–sample detachment; photothermal excitation; Introduction Contact resonance atomic force microscopy (CR-AFM) [1][2], piezoresponse force

Enhancement of the piezoelectric coefficient in PVDF-TrFe/CoFe₂O₄ nanocomposites through DC magnetic poling

• Marco Fortunato,
• Alessio Tamburrano,
• Maria Paola Bracciale,
• Maria Laura Santarelli and
• Maria Sabrina Sarto

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1262–1270, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.93

• poling; piezoelectric effect; piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM); poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene); PVDF-TrFe; PVDF-TrFe nanocomposites; Introduction In the last years, innovative energy harvesting systems based on the piezoelectric effect, able to convert vibrational mechanical energy

• piezoelectric coefficient was evaluated through piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM), which is a very powerful technique to characterize the micro- and nanoscale piezoelectric response of piezoelectric materials [1][2][4][26][27]. Results and Discussion In order to understand whether the β phase fraction was

A review on slip boundary conditions at the nanoscale: recent development and applications

• Ruifei Wang,
• Jin Chai,
• Bobo Luo,
• Xiong Liu,
• Jianting Zhang,
• Min Wu,
• Mingdan Wei and
• Zhuanyue Ma

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1237–1251, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.91

• and varies with the external driving force. In addition, depending on whether there is a true slip length, the amplitude of surface roughness has different influences on the effective slip length. The composition of surface textures, including isotropic and anisotropic textures, can also affect the

• nanoscale systems [8][34][38][39]. For example, based on surface force apparatus (SFA) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements, many researchers have investigated the slippage characteristics of nanoconfined liquid flows and derived the slip length according to its correlation with the hydrodynamic

• force [39][40][41][42]. However, compared with experimental methods, numerical simulations, such as the lattice Boltzmann method and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, are more attractive in many aspects. First, numerical simulations can readily reach the system sizes and timescales of practical

Two dynamic modes to streamline challenging atomic force microscopy measurements

• Alexei G. Temiryazev,
• Andrey V. Krayev and
• Marina P. Temiryazeva

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1226–1236, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.90

• 10.3762/bjnano.12.90 Abstract The quality of topographic images obtained using atomic force microscopy strongly depends on the accuracy of the choice of scanning parameters. When using the most common scanning method – semicontact amplitude modulation (tapping) mode, the choice of scanning parameters is

• formalized choice of the imaging parameters in these modes allows addressing a wide range of formerly challenging tasks – from scanning rough samples with high aspect ratio features to molecular resolution imaging. Keywords: atomic force microscopy; dissipation mode; scanning probe microscopy; vertical mode

• ; Introduction More than 30 years have passed since the introduction of atomic force microscopy (AFM) [1]. This technique has established itself as an indispensable tool for characterization not only in physics and chemistry, but also in related fields of research including medicine, biology, and materials

Irradiation-driven molecular dynamics simulation of the FEBID process for Pt(PF₃)₄

• Alexey Prosvetov,
• Alexey V. Verkhovtsev,
• Gennady Sushko and
• Andrey V. Solov’yov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1151–1172, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.86

• deposition; irradiation-driven molecular dynamics; irradiation-induced chemistry; platinum nanostructures; reactive force fields; Introduction The controllable fabrication of nanostructures with nanoscale resolution remains a considerable scientific and technological challenge [1]. To address this challenge

• of atomic partial charges, or alteration of interatomic interactions) are simulated by means of MD with reactive force fields [17][18] using the advanced software packages MBN Explorer [19] and MBN Studio [20]. MBN Explorer is a multi-purpose software package for multiscale simulations of structure

• interactions among the constituents of the system. Interatomic potentials The precursor molecules are described via the reactive CHARMM (rCHARMM) force field [17][18]. rCHARMM permits simulations of systems with dynamically changing molecular topologies, which is essential for modeling the precursor

Self-assembly of amino acids toward functional biomaterials

• Huan Ren,
• Lifang Wu,
• Lina Tan,
• Yanni Bao,
• Yuchen Ma,
• Yong Jin and
• Qianli Zou

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1140–1150, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.85

• and molecular forces play a key role in self-assembly, including hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic bonds, van der Waals force, ionic bonds, π–π stacking, and electrostatic forces [31]. Importantly, amino acids are simple building blocks that provide relevant noncovalent interactions to construct complex

• characteristics compared to the common noncovalent interactions in self-assembly, such as hydrophobic interactions, van der Waals force, hydrogen bonds, ion attraction, and π–π stacking [57]. Cystine (Cys) can provide carboxyl and amino groups with which it can coordinate with equimolar amounts of cadmium ions

• biomolecules, such as proteins, peptides, and DNA have received extensive attention in recent years [86]. Liu et al. [87] used electrostatic force to adsorb tetrakis(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphine (TPPS) molecules on the surface of 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl-ʟ-lysine (Fmoc-ʟ-Lys) self-assembled nanofibers such

Open-loop amplitude-modulation Kelvin probe force microscopy operated in single-pass PeakForce tapping mode

• Gheorghe Stan and
• Pradeep Namboodiri

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1115–1126, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.83

• (OL) variant of Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) provides access to the voltage response of the electrostatic interaction between a conductive atomic force microscopy (AFM) probe and the investigated sample. The measured response can be analyzed a posteriori, modeled, and interpreted to include

• probe force microscopy; open loop; surface potential; Introduction Over many years, an abundance of developments and applications has made Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) [1] one of the most versatile nanoscale surface electronic characterization techniques. With its main measurement in terms of

• found in many review articles and book chapters [13][20][21][22][23][24]. The majority of the KPFM implementations are in the form of closed-loop systems, with the tip–sample CPD determined from the nullification [25] of either the electrostatic force as in AM-KPFM [1][26] or the gradient force as in FM

A new method for obtaining model-free viscoelastic material properties from atomic force microscopy experiments using discrete integral transform techniques

• Berkin Uluutku,
• Enrique A. López-Guerra and
• Santiago D. Solares

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1063–1077, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.79

• at the micro- and the nanoscale is commonly performed with the aid of force–distance relationships acquired using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The general strategy for existing methods is to fit the observed material behavior to specific viscoelastic models, such as generalized viscoelastic models

• correspondence. We illustrate the proposed technique on a model experiment involving a traditional ramp-shaped force–distance AFM curve, demonstrating good agreement between the viscoelastic characteristics extracted from the simulated experiment and the theoretical expectations. We also provide a path for

• unbounded inputs traditionally used to acquire force–distance relationships in AFM, such as ramp functions, in which the cantilever position is displaced linearly with time for a finite period of time. Keywords: atomic force microscopy; force spectroscopy; material properties; viscoelasticity

An overview of microneedle applications, materials, and fabrication methods

• Zahra Faraji Rad,
• Philip D. Prewett and
• Graham J. Davies

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1034–1046, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.77

• useful dosages of drugs and vaccines is a key issue, since the active area of microneedles in a patch device is limited by the force which must be applied to achieve skin penetration. This is a clear limitation of the dissolving microneedle approach [37]. A reservoir, separate from the microneedles, for

• or height, and shaft and tip shape. Other parameters including fluid flow rates, biocompatibility, penetration force, fragility, relative simplicity, and cost of fabrication are all key design considerations. The final design will depend on the limitations of the fabrication method and the mechanical

• penetration are obviously dependent on microneedle tip dimensions and skin puncture stress. Consequently, there is increased interest in ultrasharp microneedles with tips having minimum lateral dimensions below 1 µm. The penetration force linearly increases with array size and the use of controlled force

Revealing the formation mechanism and band gap tuning of Sb₂S₃ nanoparticles

• Maximilian Joschko,
• Franck Yvan Fotue Wafo,
• Christina Malsi,
• Danilo Kisić,
• Ivana Validžić and
• Christina Graf

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1021–1033, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.76

• . Atomic force microscopy (AFM) as an additional method of size determination was applied to confirm the TEM results of the sample obtained after 30 s reaction time. AFM enables imaging of the nanoparticles under milder conditions than TEM and at ambient conditions so that thermal damage of the

Molecular assemblies on surfaces: towards physical and electronic decoupling of organic molecules

• Sabine Maier and
• Meike Stöhr

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 950–956, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.71

• . To a lesser extent, metal oxides have also been used, for which defects and charging often pose additional challenges [44][45][46]. On electronically insulating surfaces, non-contact atomic force microscopy (AFM) is the method of choice to study molecular assemblies and individual molecules in real