A novel polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane-modified layered double hydroxide: preparation, characterization and properties

• Xianwei Zhang,
• Zhongzhu Ma,
• Hong Fan,
• Carla Bittencourt,
• Jintao Wan and
• Philippe Dubois

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 3053–3068, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.284

• ]. These 3D nanoclusters follow the basic composition formula of Rn(SiO1.5)n and have a size of 1 to 3 nm in diameter when the vertex groups (R) are included. The siloxane cage in POSS provides the thermally and chemically robust framework, while the organic functionality can be chemically modified in a

In situ characterization of nanoscale contaminations adsorbed in air using atomic force microscopy

• Jesús S. Lacasa,
• Lisa Almonte and
• Jaime Colchero

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2925–2935, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.271

• Hamaker constant A is determined uniquely from the product A·R. Note that this process is robust with regard to the tip size, since the van der Waals interaction is “normalized” to the tip radius by determining tip radius from the electrostatic interaction. In this sense, as discussed in the introduction

Time-resolved universal temperature measurements using NaYF₄:Er³⁺,Yb³⁺ upconverting nanoparticles in an electrospray jet

• Kristina Shrestha,
• Arwa A. Alaulamie,
• Ali Rafiei Miandashti and
• Hugh H. Richardson

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2916–2924, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.270

• ability to be used as a universal temperature sensor. Herein, we introduce a universal calibration protocol for NaYF4:Er3+,Yb3+ upconverting nanoparticles that is robust to environmental changes and gives a precise temperature measurement. We used this new procedure to calculate the temperature profile

• -band peak shape in this range is more robust to environmental changes, especially changes in the excitation laser light intensity and laser excitation time. The LIR using the reduced S-band integration give temperature measurements with a universal calibration. We applied this new procedure to

• paper we introduce a universal calibration protocol for NaYF4:Er3+,Yb3+ UCNPs that is robust to environmental changes and gives a more precise temperature measurement. We applied this new procedure to determine the temperature profile inside a Taylor cone generated with an electrospray jet. Inside the

The effect of flexible joint-like elements on the adhesive performance of nature-inspired bent mushroom-like fibers

• Elliot Geikowsky,
• Serdar Gorumlu and
• Burak Aksak

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2893–2905, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.268

• of either a more flexible material than the stalk or a local geometrical constriction, which can provide robust adhesion independent of the direction of the applied load [32][33]. It can reduce the normal stress and alleviate peeling at the interface because the joint flexibility leads to a smaller

Low cost tips for tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy fabricated by two-step electrochemical etching of 125 µm diameter gold wires

• Antonino Foti,
• Francesco Barreca,
• Enza Fazio,
• Cristiano D’Andrea,
• Paolo Matteini,
• Onofrio Maria Maragò and
• Pietro Giuseppe Gucciardi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2718–2729, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.254

• smaller or equal to 5 nm consisting indeed of just a few molecules. Conclusion In summary, we demonstrate a fast and inexpensive protocol to produce TERS tips by electrochemical etching of 125 µm diameter gold wires. The tips are robust and easy to manipulate. Their cost (1.05 €/tip) is 2.5 times cheaper

Optimization of Mo/Cr bilayer back contacts for thin-film solar cells

• Nima Khoshsirat,
• Fawad Ali,
• Vincent Tiing Tiong,
• Mojtaba Amjadipour,
• Hongxia Wang,
• Mahnaz Shafiei and
• Nunzio Motta

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2700–2707, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.252

• . Conclusion A bilayer of Mo/Cr thin films with robust adhesion and desired electro-optical properties as a back contact in thin-film solar cells was successfully deposited on SLG substrates using DC sputtering. The bottom 10–15 nm thick Cr layer was used to increase the adhesion of the top Mo layer to the

Silicene, germanene and other group IV 2D materials

• Patrick Vogt

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2665–2667, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.248

• atomic size of the involved elements. This opens the way to observe a quantum spin Hall effect, for example, in germanene or stanene in an accessible temperature range, possibly even at room temperature. The occurrence of topologically nontrivial properties will be more robust for the heavier

Directional light beams by design from electrically driven elliptical slit antennas

• Shuiyan Cao,
• Eric Le Moal,
• Quanbo Jiang,
• Aurélien Drezet,
• Serge Huant,
• Jean-Paul Hugonin,
• Gérald Dujardin and
• Elizabeth Boer-Duchemin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2361–2371, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.221

• angular spread of the emitted beam depends on the length of the ellipse axes and not on its eccentricity. In addition, light beaming is robust to amplitude inhomogeneities of the scattered field from the slit (which becomes more inhomogeneous as the eccentricity increases) but is highly sensitive to its

Block copolymers for designing nanostructured porous coatings

• Roberto Nisticò

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2332–2344, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.218

• , robust, and well-consolidated technique that guarantees high performance and easy scale up, as compared to other more fascinating (albeit still at the laboratory scale) approaches, such as the use of magnetic adsorbing materials [116] or advanced oxidized processes [117][118]. On the other hand, future

Lead-free hybrid perovskites for photovoltaics

• Oleksandr Stroyuk

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2209–2235, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.207

Interaction-induced zero-energy pinning and quantum dot formation in Majorana nanowires

• Samuel D. Escribano,
• Alfredo Levy Yeyati and
• Elsa Prada

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2171–2180, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.203

• that deviate from zero energy, leading to an oscillatory pattern in the low-bias conductance as a function of Zeeman field, chemical potential or wire length [21][22][23]. Conspicuously, in most of the available experimental data the emergence of a robust zero-bias conductance peak is observed above

• MBSs to zero energy around parity crossings and, thus, to more robust zero-bias conductance peaks than predicted by the non-interacting models. The aim of the present work is to test the validity of the predictions of [33] for the case of more realistic calculations of the induced electrostatic

Electrospun one-dimensional nanostructures: a new horizon for gas sensing materials

• Muhammad Imran,
• Nunzio Motta and
• Mahnaz Shafiei

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2128–2170, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.202

• these techniques, electrospinning is one of the most versatile and robust techniques for synthesis of functional nanofibers with unique structure and diverse properties [37][38][39][40]. The diameter of these functional fibers range between sub-micrometre to nanometre. The versatility of electrospinning

• electrospinning as well as electrospraying. Electrospinning is a simple, robust and low-cost technique to generate polymer and composite fibers ranging from nanometres to a few micrometres in diameter [46][47]. In electrospinning, a high voltage source is used to produce fine fibers from a polymer solution or

High-throughput synthesis of modified Fresnel zone plate arrays via ion beam lithography

• Kahraman Keskinbora,
• Umut Tunca Sanli,
• Margarita Baluktsian,
• Corinne Grévent,
• Markus Weigand and
• Gisela Schütz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2049–2056, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.194

• -resolution imaging and lithography at short wavelengths. Their fabrication requires nano-machining capabilities with exceptional precision and strict tolerances such as those enabled by modern lithography methods. In particular, ion beam lithography (IBL) is a noteworthy method thanks to its robust direct

Recent highlights in nanoscale and mesoscale friction

• Andrea Vanossi,
• Dirk Dietzel,
• Andre Schirmeisen,
• Ernst Meyer,
• Rémy Pawlak,
• Thilo Glatzel,
• Marcin Kisiel,
• Shigeki Kawai and
• Nicola Manini

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1995–2014, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.190

• ]. Only recently, several systems have been discovered in which structural superlubricity can be observed under ambient conditions. For graphene stacks the self-retracting motion was found to remain a robust feature even under ambient conditions, which indicates that contamination cannot enter the

Electromigrated electrical optical antennas for transducing electrons and photons at the nanoscale

• Arindam Dasgupta,
• Mickaël Buret,
• Nicolas Cazier,
• Marie-Maxime Mennemanteuil,
• Reinaldo Chacon,
• Kamal Hammani,
• Jean-Claude Weeber,
• Juan Arocas,
• Laurent Markey,
• Gérard Colas des Francs,
• Alexander Uskov,
• Igor Smetanin and
• Alexandre Bouhelier

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1964–1976, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.187

• (RF) data transmission between distant nodes is emerging as an alternative for wired physical waveguiding channels [4]. This approach is enabled by the availability of complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible transceivers [5] and may offer cost-effective robust interconnects operating

Controllable one-pot synthesis of uniform colloidal TiO₂ particles in a mixed solvent solution for photocatalysis

• Jong Tae Moon,
• Seung Ki Lee and
• Ji Bong Joo

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1715–1727, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.163

• robust sol–gel coating process in a mixed solvent of ethanol–acetonitrile (EtOH/ACN) for producing polymer@TiO2 core–shell nanostructures was reported [14]. Since the solubility of the TiO2 precursor, titanium butoxide (TBOT), is different in the two different solvents (ethanol and acetonitrile), the

A zero-dimensional topologically nontrivial state in a superconducting quantum dot

• Pasquale Marra,
• Alessandro Braggio and
• Roberta Citro

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1705–1714, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.162

• topological invariant. These signatures are topologically robust against small perturbations, such as disorder. This means that these discontinuities and the associated zero-energy modes cannot be removed by the presence of, e.g., disorder or interactions, if these perturbations are small compared to the

• confirms the results obtained in a more general model in [50]. The topological phase transitions and the ensuing current discontinuities are robust, in the sense that cannot be removed by small perturbations. A direct measure of the CPR [71][73][74][75] or of the Josephson radiation [38][76][77] at low

Toward the use of CVD-grown MoS₂ nanosheets as field-emission source

• Geetanjali Deokar,
• Nitul S. Rajput,
• Junjie Li,
• Francis Leonard Deepak,
• Wei Ou-Yang,
• Nicolas Reckinger,
• Carla Bittencourt,
• Jean-Francois Colomer and
• Mustapha Jouiad

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1686–1694, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.160

• the fabricated MoS2 NSs could have a great potential as robust high-performance electron-emitter material for various applications such as microelectronics and nanoelectronics, flat-panel displays and electron-microscopy emitter tips. Keywords: chemical vapor deposition (CVD); field emission

Josephson effect in junctions of conventional and topological superconductors

• Alex Zazunov,
• Albert Iks,
• Miguel Alvarado,
• Alfredo Levy Yeyati and
• Reinhold Egger

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1659–1676, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.158

• , in accordance with the perturbative result in Equation 23. Our mean-field results suggest that φ0-junction behavior is very robust and extends also into other parameter regimes as long as the condition By ≠ 0 is met. Next, Figure 5 shows mean-field results for the critical current, |I()|, as function

Free-radical gases on two-dimensional transition-metal disulfides (XS₂, X = Mo/W): robust half-metallicity for efficient nitrogen oxide sensors

• Chunmei Zhang,
• Yalong Jiao,
• Fengxian Ma,
• Sri Kasi Matta,
• Steven Bottle and
• Aijun Du

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1641–1646, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.156

• metal. More precisely, the single-layer XS2 (X = Mo, W) with NO adsorbed on it would behave like a metal in one spin channel while acting as a semiconductor in the other spin orientation. The half-metallicity is robust and independent of the NO concentration. In contrast, no half-metallic feature can be

• gas concentrations to confirm that the predicted half-metallicity is indeed robust. Differences in electronic properties and orbital analysis between NO and NO2 adsorption show that half-metallicity is only observed when NO is adsorbed. Since single/multi-layer MoS2 FET sensors for NO have been

Spatial Rabi oscillations between Majorana bound states and quantum dots

• Jun-Hui Zheng,
• Dao-Xin Yao and
• Zhi Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1527–1535, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.143

• candidate is the hybrid system of a spin–orbit-coupling nanowire and a conventional superconductor. Robust zero-bias conductance peak was first reported in this system, which originates from the self-conjugate nature of Majorana bound states and therefore was wildly recognized as a signature. An exotic

Robust topological phase in proximitized core–shell nanowires coupled to multiple superconductors

• Tudor D. Stanescu,
• Anna Sitek and
• Andrei Manolescu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1512–1526, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.142

• between 50–100 meV [29][37]. In this case the corner states are extremely robust to orbital effects of the magnetic field and the low-energy subspace is well separated from higher-energy states. Another interesting aspect of a prismatic shell is that it can host several Majorana states at each end of the

• the low-field topological phase corresponding to μ = −4.4 meV is now characterized by a sizable quasiparticle gap, indicating a regime which may be more favorable for robust zero-energy Majorana modes. We note that the robust low-field topological phase in panel (II-B) corresponds to a single pair of

• superconductivity (and the corresponding Majorana modes) are not very robust. An important difference between the phase diagram shown in Figure 5 and that in Figure 2 is that for the square wire we have used a larger value of the inter-chain hopping, t′ = 2.25 meV. Enhancing the coupling between chains widens the

Robust midgap states in band-inverted junctions under electric and magnetic fields

• Álvaro Díaz-Fernández,
• Natalia del Valle and
• Francisco Domínguez-Adame

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1405–1413, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.133

• presence of crossed electric and magnetic fields, the electric field being applied along the growth direction of a band-inverted junction. We show that the Dirac cone is robust and persists even if the fields are strong. In addition, we point out that Landau levels of electron states lying in the

• symmetry allow us to define a topological index given by the sign of the Dirac mass [21]. In 1994, Agassi studied the case of a band-inverted junction with a magnetic field applied parallel to the junction [23]. This author showed that the Dirac point remains robust upon the application of a magnetic field

• recently studied band-inverted junctions based on IV–VI compounds using a two-band model when an electric field is applied along the growth direction [25]. We have demonstrated that the Dirac cone of midgap states is robust against moderate values of the electric field but Fermi’s velocity decreases

Interplay between pairing and correlations in spin-polarized bound states

• Szczepan Głodzik,
• Aksel Kobiałka,
• Anna Gorczyca-Goraj,
• Andrzej Ptok,
• Grzegorz Górski,
• Maciej M. Maśka and
• Tadeusz Domański

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1370–1380, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.129

• quantum defects involving their intrinsic spins can couple them ferromagnetically. This can be used (e.g., in metallic carbon nanotubes) for a robust transmission of magnetic information over large distances. In all cases the bound YSR states are also sensitive to interactions. One of them is the spin

Disorder-induced suppression of the zero-bias conductance peak splitting in topological superconducting nanowires

• Jun-Tong Ren,
• Hai-Feng Lü,
• Sha-Sha Ke,
• Yong Guo and
• Huai-Wu Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1358–1369, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.128

• ]. Although it is noticed that the trivial Andreev bound states are non-negligible in the experiments, the enhanced Majorana energy oscillation for increasing Zeeman field is robust and unaffected when various mechanisms are taken into account. Here we investigate the effect of different types of disorder on

• conductance peak spacing. This means that the Majorana energy splitting can not be genuinely characterized by the conductance signature. One possible reason is that the Majorana energy splitting is not robust. When the energy splitting of the Majorana modes is negligible compared to the magnitude of disorder