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

• the measured electrical tip–sample interaction is directly affixed to the topography rendered by the mechanical PFT modulation at each tap. Furthermore, because the detailed response of the cantilever to the bias stimulation was recorded, it was possible to analyze and separate an average contribution

• electrical [57][58], chemical [59], optical [60][61], and mechanical [62][63] measurements. Results and Discussion Closed-loop KPFM measurements in two-pass PFT mode The new OL AM-KPFM implementation was tested on a commercially available sample consisting of large Au and Al metal regions deposited on a Si

• (KPFM) and mechanical (PFT) signals provides a pixel-by-pixel correlation between CPD and topography. Prior to subtracting the cantilever contribution, the average CPD over Al from OL AM-KPFM (left side of Figure 7b) was 0.7 V, the same as that from CL AM-KPFM mapping in the same configuration

First-principles study of the structural, optoelectronic and thermophysical properties of the π-SnSe for thermoelectric applications

• Muhammad Atif Sattar,
• Najwa Al Bouzieh,
• Maamar Benkraouda and
• Noureddine Amrane

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1101–1114, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.82

• paper, we have theoretically explored the physical properties of this new binary phase of cubic π-SnSe alloy. Although one study has experimentally demonstrated the mechanical stability of the π-SnSe phase [47], to the best of our knowledge, optical, thermodynamic, and thermoelectric properties of this

• indirect bandgap (1.41 eV), is a p-type semiconductor, and a possible alternative to orthorhombic α-SnSe for thermoelectric applications at room and high temperatures. The mechanical stability is confirmed for the α-SnSe alloy as all the calculated mechanical parameters show a linear increasing trend by

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

• Berkin Uluutku Enrique A. Lopez-Guerra Santiago D. Solares Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The George Washington University School of Engineering and Applied Science, Washington, District of Columbia, USA 10.3762/bjnano.12.79 Abstract Viscoelastic characterization of materials

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

• Zahra Faraji Rad Philip D. Prewett Graham J. Davies School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield Central, QLD 4300, Australia Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom Oxacus Ltd, Dorchester

• 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

• crystal silicon and provide a degree of biodegradability, but their fabrication methods are relatively complex and involve the use of toxic and corrosive chemicals like HF. In addition, the mechanical properties of materials, including Young’s modulus, significantly degrade with increasing porosity. (Note

Progress and innovation of nanostructured sulfur cathodes and metal-free anodes for room-temperature Na–S batteries

• Marina Tabuyo-Martínez,
• Bernd Wicklein and
• Pilar Aranda

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 995–1020, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.75

• rather large (up to 170%) and may damage the cathode and lead to capacity loss [4]. Nanoscaling the cathode compounds and the concomitant introduction of porosity is a widely investigated strategy to mitigate the emerging mechanical tension and to prevent electrode failure [18][24]. Unlike sodium-ion

• batteries, the anode of most RT Na–S batteries simply consists of a Na metal foil. This has severe security and technological implications as metallic Na is highly reactive, prone to dendrite growth and subsequent mechanical failure, and reduced cycle performance [10]. These inconveniences are detrimental

• reaction kinetics, NPs are more easily confined in conducting matrices, and the volume expansion of individual NPs is better distributed over the entire cathode improving its mechanical integrity [14]. There are different methods to incorporate sulfur nanoparticles and nanostructures in cathodes such as

Is the Ne operation of the helium ion microscope suitable for electron backscatter diffraction sample preparation?

• Annalena Wolff

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 965–983, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.73

• . Numerous sample preparation procedures exist to achieve the required mirror finish of the sample surface. Depending on the material, mechanical polishing [28], electropolishing [29], or ion polishing [30] are the key techniques. A thorough overview of the different EBSD preparation techniques can be found

Uniform arrays of gold nanoelectrodes with tuneable recess depth

• Elena O. Gordeeva,
• Ilya V. Roslyakov,
• Alexey P. Leontiev,
• Alexey A. Klimenko and
• Kirill S. Napolskii

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 957–964, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.72

• template filling [26][27]. There are several requirements for structure and properties of NEAs, that includes, (1) mechanical stability and the ability to control the geometric parameters of nanoelectrodes, (2) chemical stability in electrolyte solutions, (3) recess uniformity for the electrodes in the

• mechanical polishing or ion etching and subsequent re-deposition of the current collector. It is worth noting that a great number of Au electrodes within the array is extremely important for a practical application of NEAs under the kinetic control of a target electrochemical process. In this case, the

The role of convolutional neural networks in scanning probe microscopy: a review

• Ido Azuri,
• Irit Rosenhek-Goldian,
• Neta Regev-Rudzki,
• Georg Fantner and
• Sidney R. Cohen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 878–901, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.66

• using that association to categorize, identify, and isolate subsets of the data. Scanning probe microscopy measures multimodal surface properties, combining morphology with electronic, mechanical, and other characteristics. In this review, we focus on a subset of deep learning algorithms, that is

Effects of temperature and repeat layer spacing on mechanical properties of graphene/polycrystalline copper nanolaminated composites under shear loading

• Chia-Wei Huang,
• Man-Ping Chang and
• Te-Hua Fang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 863–877, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.65

• Chia-Wei Huang Man-Ping Chang Te-Hua Fang Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 807618, Taiwan 10.3762/bjnano.12.65 Abstract In the present study, the characteristics of graphene/polycrystalline copper nanolaminated (GPCuNL

• ) composites under shear loading are investigated by molecular dynamics simulations. The effects of different temperatures, graphene chirality, repeat layer spacing, and grain size on the mechanical properties, such as failure mechanism, dislocation, and shear modulus, are observed. The results indicate that

• as the temperature increases, the content of Shockley dislocations will increase and the maximum shear stress of the zigzag and armchair directions also decreases. The mechanical strength of the zigzag direction is more dependent on the temperature than that of the armchair direction. Moreover, self

Comprehensive review on ultrasound-responsive theranostic nanomaterials: mechanisms, structures and medical applications

• Sepand Tehrani Fateh,
• Lida Moradi,
• Elmira Kohan,
• Michael R. Hamblin and
• Amin Shiralizadeh Dezfuli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 808–862, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.64

• their cargo in response to locally elevated temperatures [24]. Under some circumstances, small mechanical displacements of the tissue can result in nucleation, growth, and collapse of gas bubbles in a process known as acoustic cavitation, which is responsible for drug release from some structures [27

• frequency is used for therapeutic applications and 2.5 to 15 MHz for diagnostic procedures according to the depth and type of the organ or tissue and the physics of the mechanical wave propagation [60]. Sound is a back-and-forth mechanical motion or vibration of molecules in a medium that transports energy

• proximity to the cell membrane. It has been shown that during inertial cavitation, in addition to direct oscillating MB–cell membrane interactions, a fluid microjet formed around the MBs can be responsible for providing secondary mechanical stress on the cell membrane and create transient disruption. In

Recent progress in actuation technologies of micro/nanorobots

• Ke Xu and
• Bing Liu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 756–765, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.59

• can be used to actuate micro/nanorobots. Under normal circumstances, electric fields and magnetic fields are inseparable, and the two can be transformed into each other under certain conditions. Jeong et al. [26] designed a new type of microrobot without complicated mechanical parts. Two actuation

Recent progress in magnetic applications for micro- and nanorobots

• Ke Xu,
• Shuang Xu and
• Fanan Wei

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 744–755, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.58

• Ke Xu Shuang Xu Fanan Wei School of Information & Control Engineering, Shenyang Jianzhu University, Shenyang, China School of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China 10.3762/bjnano.12.58 Abstract In recent years, magnetic micro- and nanorobots have been developed

• the design of various magnetic MNRs. Kim et al. [64] proposed a hydrogel microrobot based on the combination of an electroactive hydrogel and MNPs. Electroactive hydrogels are usually made of a single hydrogel [65]. They respond to electric fields and produce mechanical motion in an electrolyte [66

Physical constraints lead to parallel evolution of micro- and nanostructures of animal adhesive pads: a review

• Thies H. Büscher and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 725–743, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.57

• morphology of attachment devices is affected by physical constraints. This resulted in two main types of attachment devices in animals: hairy and smooth. They differ in morphology and ultrastructure but achieve mechanical adaptation to substrates with different roughness and maximise the actual contact area

• generally contribute to the attachment on rough surfaces due to friction and mechanical interlocking [83][89][92][232][233][234][235][236]. The performance of claws depends on the radius of the claw tip in relation to the curvature of the surface irregularities [83][234][237][238]. However, in combination

• with the claws, the attachment pads provide adhesion to surfaces with different roughness conditions [162][238]. This ability has numerous contact mechanical demands (called below as “functional principles”), which evolved under similar boundary conditions in different groups and hence reveal

Nanogenerator-based self-powered sensors for data collection

• Yicheng Shao,
• Maoliang Shen,
• Yuankai Zhou,
• Xin Cui,
• Lijie Li and
• Yan Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 680–693, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.54

• effectively harvest energy various low-frequency mechanical motions from the environment. NG-based self-powered sensors act as data collection units for traffic [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11], meteorological environment [12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21], human movement [22][23][24][25][26][27], viscera

• /touch sensor based on PENGs/TENGs, which combined with back-end ML technology, can help disabled people to live and communicate normally. Self-powered motion sensors can also collect the weak mechanical energy generated in other physiological activities of the human body, such as heartbeat, breathing

• with good biocompatibility can used for implantable self-powered physiological sensors. The sensors can be powered by the mechanical energy from the biological activity of the organism, and provide physiological data. An implantable heart monitoring sensor based on a TENG can work stably for a long

A review of defect engineering, ion implantation, and nanofabrication using the helium ion microscope

• Frances I. Allen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 633–664, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.52

• modify the mechanical, electronic, and magnetic properties of these materials [73]. In this work, the focus was on characterizing the accumulation of defects and structural changes for increasing dose, using correlative Raman spectroscopy and TEM. The effect of sample thinning due to sputtering on the

• focused helium ion beam of the HIM. Wang et al. used the HIM to conduct a systematic study of the effect of such a helium gas bubble superlattice on the mechanical properties of copper, which is representative of a range of fcc alloys that are known to exhibit radiation tolerance [78]. Copper nanopillar

• mechanical response, with the typical swelling also observed [90]. In contrast, studies of both helium and neon ion-irradiated polymers have shown that swelling does not occur at the threshold doses observed for crystalline targets, attributed to the significantly higher diffusion coefficients of the noble

High-yield synthesis of silver nanowires for transparent conducting PET films

• Gul Naz,
• Hafsa Asghar,
• Muhammad Ramzan,
• Muhammad Arshad,
• Rashid Ahmed,
• Muhammad Bilal Tahir,
• Bakhtiar Ul Haq,
• Nadeem Baig and
• Junaid Jalil

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 624–632, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.51

• length with an average diameter of about 86 nm, that is, the aspect ratio values of the AgNWs exceeded 45. An ink consisting of hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) and AgNWs was transferred to polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films by simple mechanical pressing. The PET films retained transparency and

• solution under stirring at room temperature for 2–3 h until the AgNW solution was completely mixed with HEC. AgNW ink was then transferred to 5 × 5 cm2 pieces of PET film by mechanical pressing in order to produce a thin and homogeneous layer of the ink on the surface of the PET substrate. Simply, 0.25 mL

• form a closed circuit (Figure 4e). To demonstrate the mechanical stability of the AgNW-coated PET films, a fabricated PET film was bent repeatedly by 90°. A test measuring the PET sheet resistance during 500 bend–release cycles was carried out. Figure 5 shows that the PET film has almost maintained its

Properties of graphene deposited on GaN nanowires: influence of nanowire roughness, self-induced nanogating and defects

• Jakub Kierdaszuk,
• Piotr Kaźmierczak,
• Justyna Grzonka,
• Aleksandra Krajewska,
• Aleksandra Przewłoka,
• Wawrzyniec Kaszub,
• Zbigniew R. Zytkiewicz,
• Marta Sobanska,
• Maria Kamińska,
• Andrzej Wysmołek and
• Aneta Drabińska

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 566–577, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.47

• engineering. Keywords: carrier concentration; gallium nitride; graphene; nanowires; Raman spectroscopy; scattering on defects; strain; Introduction The combination of excellent electrical and mechanical properties with interesting physical phenomena occurring in two-dimensional structures makes graphene an

• , such as strain induced by mechanical contact between materials or gating of graphene by neighbouring layers, are important for further applications. Furthermore, electron scattering on defects modifies graphene properties in several ways, for example, additional scattering centres reduce carrier

Local stiffness and work function variations of hexagonal boron nitride on Cu(111)

• Abhishek Grewal,
• Yuqi Wang,
• Matthias Münks,
• Klaus Kern and
• Markus Ternes

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 559–565, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.46

• the contact potential difference measured by Kelvin probe force microscopy. Using 3D force profiles of the same area we determine the relative stiffness of the Moiré region allowing us to analyse both electronic and mechanical properties of the 2D layer simultaneously. We obtain a sheet stiffness of

• small geometrical corrugation [27]. Further experimental investigations, using both local probes and averaging techniques, revealed more details of the mechanical and electronic properties of the system, but also inconsistent results about the structural corrugation [26][28][29][30]. For example, Brülke

• modulation [30]. To shed more light on this controversy we use an alternative method to verify the mechanical properties of the monolayer by measuring the stiffness of the h-BN layer at different locations of the superstructure and comparing these results with concomitantly recorded local work function

The preparation temperature influences the physicochemical nature and activity of nanoceria

• Robert A. Yokel,
• Wendel Wohlleben,
• Johannes Georg Keller,
• Matthew L. Hancock,
• Jason M. Unrine,
• D. Allan Butterfield and
• Eric A. Grulke

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 525–540, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.43

• family of metal oxide ENMs used industrially, as catalysts in diesel fuel, abrasives in chemical mechanical planarization, in integrated circuit manufacture, as structural supports for catalysts for fuel synthesis applications, in solid oxide fuel cells, and in rechargeable batteries [1][2]. Cerium oxide

Determining amplitude and tilt of a lateral force microscopy sensor

• Oliver Gretz,
• Alfred J. Weymouth,
• Thomas Holzmann,
• Korbinian Pürckhauer and
• Franz J. Giessibl

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 517–524, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.42

• energy to excite the sensor is very small and mechanical vibrations can dominate the excitation [19]. For low-temperature LFM, the lattice of the substrate can be used to calibrate the amplitude if the periodicity of the lateral features is known [20]. For electrically excited piezoelectric-based sensors

• , the energy input required to maintain the oscillation amplitude constant can be measured to calculate the calibration factor [21]. Besides these experimental methods, the amplitude can be also calibrated by calculating the electro-mechanical properties of the cantilever [22]. This theoretical method

Simulation of gas sensing with a triboelectric nanogenerator

• Kaiqin Zhao,
• Hua Gan,
• Huan Li,
• Ziyu Liu and
• Zhiyuan Zhu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 507–516, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.41

• can also be used as sensors [22]. TENGs, originally proposed by Prof. Zhongling Wang [23], are microgenerators that convert mechanical energy into electrical energy based on the triboelectric effect [24]. In most TENG simulations, a triboelectric polymer material is in direct contact with an electrode

Reconstruction of a 2D layer of KBr on Ir(111) and electromechanical alteration by graphene

• Zhao Liu,
• Antoine Hinaut,
• Stefan Peeters,
• Sebastian Scherb,
• Ernst Meyer,
• Maria Clelia Righi and
• Thilo Glatzel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 432–439, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.35

• reduced by the decoupling effect of graphene, thus yielding different electrical and mechanical properties of the top KBr layer. Keywords: DFT; graphene; Ir(111); KBr; KPFM; nc-AFM; surface reconstruction; Introduction Many two-dimensional (2D) materials have excellent optical, mechanical

A stretchable triboelectric nanogenerator made of silver-coated glass microspheres for human motion energy harvesting and self-powered sensing applications

• Hui Li,
• Yaju Zhang,
• Yonghui Wu,
• Hui Zhao,
• Weichao Wang,
• Xu He and
• Haiwu Zheng

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 402–412, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.32

• Hui Li Yaju Zhang Yonghui Wu Hui Zhao Weichao Wang Xu He Haiwu Zheng School of Physics and Electronics, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China School of Mechanical and Automotive Engineering, Henan Key Laboratory for Advanced Silicon Carbide Materials, Kaifeng University, Kaifeng, 475004, China

• and 9.5 μA, respectively. The S-TENG with good stretchability (300%) can be produced in different shapes and placed on various parts of the body to harvest mechanical energy for charging capacitors and powering LED lights or scientific calculators. In addition, the good robustness of the S-TENG

• energy [7], solar energy [8], thermal energy [9], electromagnetic energy [10], and mechanical energy [11], among which mechanical energy is created almost everywhere. Mechanical energy has many obvious advantages over other energy forms, such as high energy density, wide distribution, and simple

Intracranial recording in patients with aphasia using nanomaterial-based flexible electronics: promises and challenges

• Qingchun Wang and
• Wai Ting Siok

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 330–342, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.27

• could reduce mechanical brain damage. Moreover, some electronics have been tested in animal models [77][78][79][80][81]. Although the human brain is exceedingly distinct from the mouse brain, given the larger size and more complex network, it is possible to replicate the abovementioned techniques in

Exploring the fabrication and transfer mechanism of metallic nanostructures on carbon nanomembranes via focused electron beam induced processing

• Christian Preischl,
• Linh Hoang Le,
• Elif Bilgilisoy,
• Armin Gölzhäuser and
• Hubertus Marbach

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 319–329, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.26

• 2D materials used in this approach are ultrathin carbon nanomembranes (CNMs) [21]. CNMs are versatile 2D organic materials with high thermal [22] and mechanical [23] stability that can be produced by electron-induced cross-linking of aromatic self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) [24] and transferred onto

• arbitrary substrates or grids to obtain free-standing 2D membranes [25]. The specific choice of the self-assembling molecules determines the thickness, porosity, stiffness, and the mechanical/electrical properties of the resulting CNM [26][27]. The SAMs that are used for the fabrication of CNMs consist of