Tailoring of physical properties of RF-sputtered ZnTe films: role of substrate temperature

• Kafi Devi,
• Usha Rani,
• Arun Kumar,
• Divya Gupta and
• Sanjeev Aggarwal

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 333–348, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.25

• Kafi Devi Usha Rani Arun Kumar Divya Gupta Sanjeev Aggarwal Ion Beam Centre, Department of Physics, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra-136119, India 10.3762/bjnano.16.25 Abstract In this study, zinc telluride (ZnTe) films were grown on quartz substrates at room temperature, 300 °C, 400 °C, 500

• °C, and 600 °C using RF sputtering. The thickness of the films has been found to decrease from 940 nm at room temperature to 200 nm at 600 °C with increasing substrate temperature. The structural investigation using grazing incidence angle X-ray diffraction revealed that films deposited at room

• leads to a reduction in microstrain and dislocation density. The optical studies using UV–vis–NIR spectroscopy reveal that the transmittance of films increases with substrate temperature. Further, the shift in transmittance threshold towards lower wavelengths with substrate temperature indicates that

Enhancing mechanical properties of chitosan/PVA electrospun nanofibers: a comprehensive review

• Nur Areisman Mohd Salleh,
• Amalina Muhammad Afifi,
• Fathiah Mohamed Zuki and
• Hanna Sofia SalehHudin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 286–307, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.22

• , following appropriate testing standards such as EN ISO 13934-1:1999 for the strip method [131]. A UTM applies a controlled force to a nanofiber sample and measures the force and the corresponding deformation. Nanofibers are typically collected in the form of mats or films, which are cut into small strips

• layers. Rafieian et al. [109] incorporated PVA nanofibers onto chitosan/aloe vera films to improve the mechanical, physical, and biological properties of the films for wound dressing applications. Kim et al. [159] compared the mechanical properties of pure PVA, blended chitosan/PVA, and PVA core–chitosan

Correction: AFM-IR investigation of thin PECVD SiO_x films on a polypropylene substrate in the surface-sensitive mode

• Hendrik Müller,
• Hartmut Stadler,
• Teresa de los Arcos,
• Adrian Keller and
• Guido Grundmeier

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 252–253, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.19

• /bjnano.16.19 Keywords: AFM-IR; polypropylene; surface-sensitive mode; silicon oxide; thin films; XPS; The authors regret that the acknowledgement in the publication is unfortunately not complete. The following sentence in the Funding section is missing: This work was supported by the German Research

Recent advances in photothermal nanomaterials for ophthalmic applications

• Jiayuan Zhuang,
• Linhui Jia,
• Chenghao Li,
• Rui Yang,
• Jiapeng Wang,
• Wen-an Wang,
• Heng Zhou and
• Xiangxia Luo

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 195–215, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.16

• damage to surrounding tissues due to inadequate control over the heat distribution [100][101][102][103][104][105]. Innovations in this field have led to the development of transparent polylactic acid (PLA) thin films with embedded iron oxide nanoclusters prepared via spin coating [51]. The efficient

• photothermal conversion of iron oxide minimizes the necessary laser energy. The mechanical force generated by laser-induced VNBs enables the selective destruction of single corneal cells. The PLA films aid in precisely positioning the photothermal therapy, restrain the dispersion of iron oxide nanoclusters

• , and can be easily removed post-laser treatment. The spatially selective single-cell killing capability of iron oxide PLA bubble films has great potential for ocular tumor therapy. However, clinical treatment of tumors requires the application of films on surfaces with “odd” tissues. Using a

Comparison of organic and inorganic hole transport layers in double perovskite material-based solar cell

• Deepika K and
• Arjun Singh

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 119–127, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.11

• transported to ETL and HTL, respectively, without recombining [7]. Ozturk et al. [8] addressed the role of a passivation agent at grain boundaries and the surface of perovskite films, namely, quinary kesterite nanocrystals Cu2NiSn(S,Se)4 (CNTSSe) obtained through a facile hot-casting method. Through

Advanced atomic force microscopy techniques V

• Philipp Rahe,
• Ilko Bald,
• Nadine Hauptmann,
• Regina Hoffmann-Vogel,
• Harry Mönig and
• Michael Reichling

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 54–56, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.6

• al. present the application of AFM-based infrared nanospectroscopy to coated polymer surfaces [11]. The authors prepare thin films of SiOx on polypropylene surfaces by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PE-CVD), which is commonly done to improve gas barrier properties of polypropylene. They

• characterize SiOx films as thin as 5 nm by the so-called surface-sensitive mode, in contrast to the established contact mode, which provides much less surface sensitivity. A particular strength for the study of materials is the combination of different measurement modes. Rothe et al. extend the

Bioinspired nanofilament coatings for scale reduction on steel

• Siad Dahir Ali,
• Mette Heidemann Rasmussen,
• Jacopo Catalano,
• Christian Husum Frederiksen and
• Tobias Weidner

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 25–34, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.3

• only 4.0 ± 1.5 mg. This corresponds to a scale reduction of 75.5% by the SNF coating. Ostensibly, the non-wetting properties of the SNF films prevent attachment and growth of scale. Calcium carbonate scale formation starts with crystallization nuclei, small clusters of ions which can homogeneously form

Orientation-dependent photonic bandgaps in gold-dust weevil scales and their titania bioreplicates

• Norma Salvadores Farran,
• Limin Wang,
• Primoz Pirih and
• Bodo D. Wilts

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1–10, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.1

• of 1.55 to 2.00. The study suggests that the effective refractive index of titania in the 3D lattice is similar to that in sol–gel films. The study demonstrates the potential of replicating complex biophotonic structures using the sol–gel technique. Optimization of the sol–gel process could lead to

• templating process employed here, the 3D geometry did not significantly increase the porosity of titania. Our estimate for the effective refractive index of titania in the 3D lattice is in the range reported for pure titania thin films (1.95–2.55 [38], 1.72–2.03 [39]), hybrid silica/titania thin films (1.95

• the effective refractive index of titania thin films produced by sol–gel synthesis varies because of porosity, depending on the specific process, chemicals, and reaction conditions [41]. A higher annealing temperature seems to have a large influence on reducing the porosity of thin films, while

Heterogeneous reactions in a HFCVD reactor: simulation using a 2D model

• Xochitl Aleyda Morán Martínez,
• José Alberto Luna López,
• Zaira Jocelyn Hernández Simón,
• Gabriel Omar Mendoza Conde,
• José Álvaro David Hernández de Luz and
• Godofredo García Salgado

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1627–1638, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.128

• for the subsequent growth of the SiOx films. These SiOx films have interesting properties and embedded nanostructures, which make them excellent dielectric, optoelectronic, and electroacoustic materials for the fabrication of devices compatible with silicon-based technology. Keywords: 2D model

• ; chemical reactions; flow dynamics; HFCVD; hot filament chemical vapor deposition; SiOx films; Introduction The growth of materials such as non-stoichiometric silicon oxide (SiOx) is an important step in semiconductor devices development. Control of deposition parameters determines the success of the

• process and the properties of the films, with the most important parameters being substrate temperature, gas pressure, species concentration, and flow velocity [1]. The structural, optical, and electrical properties of the SiOx, more generally known as silicon-rich oxide (SRO), films are determined by the

Ion-induced surface reactions and deposition from Pt(CO)₂Cl₂ and Pt(CO)₂Br₂

• Mohammed K. Abdel-Rahman,
• Patrick M. Eckhert,
• Atul Chaudhary,
• Johnathon M. Johnson,
• Jo-Chi Yu,
• Lisa McElwee-White and
• D. Howard Fairbrother

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1427–1439, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.115

• under steady-state conditions. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and mass spectrometry data from monolayer thick films of Pt(CO)2Cl2 and Pt(CO)2Br2 exposed to 3 keV Ar+, He+, and H2+ ions indicate that deposition is initiated by the desorption of both CO ligands, a process ascribed to momentum

• elementary reaction steps is invariant, although the rates of CO desorption and subsequent physical sputtering were greatest for the heaviest (Ar+) ions. The ability of IBID to produce pure Pt films was confirmed by AES and XPS analysis of thin film deposits created by Ar+/Pt(CO)2Cl2, demonstrating the

• after prolonged electron irradiation by means of electron-stimulated desorption and only if the films were sufficiently (nanometer scale) thin. In contrast, under high-vacuum conditions found in scanning electron microscopes, the deposits were halogen-free but contained carbon contamination [57]. These

Lithium niobate on insulator: an emerging nanophotonic crystal for optimized light control

• Midhun Murali,
• Amit Banerjee and
• Tanmoy Basu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1415–1426, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.114

• with SiO2. The ion-slicing method has enabled the production of large-scale, high-quality, and submicron-thick crystalline LN films. First, a lithium niobate wafer undergoes ion implantation, typically using hydrogen or helium ions, to create a weakened layer at a controlled depth [30]. After the

• conversion of absorbed light into electricity [43]. The carrier diffusion length within PbS CQD solar cells aligns closely with the thickness of the CQD films. This correlation introduces a tradeoff between light absorption and charge transport. As the thickness of the CQD film increases to enhance light

Investigation of Hf/Ti bilayers for the development of transition-edge sensor microcalorimeters

• Victoria Y. Safonova,
• Anna V. Gordeeva,
• Anton V. Blagodatkin,
• Dmitry A. Pimanov,
• Anton A. Yablokov and
• Andrey L. Pankratov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1353–1361, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.108

• Academy of Sciences, Akademicheskaya Street, 7, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, 603950, Russia 10.3762/bjnano.15.108 Abstract The superconducting properties of 85 nm thick hafnium thin films with a 5 nm thick titanium layer on top have been investigated for three different geometries, that is, a film covering

• is possible to fabricate microcalorimeters with δE less than 1 eV using these films. Keywords: hafnium; microcalorimeter; neutrino; superconducting transition width; superconductivity; TES; Introduction Over the last two decades, cryogenic microcalorimeters have found applications in various fields

• ongoing, and the choice of a superconductor material plays an important role here [6][7]. An increase in sensitivity can be achieved by lowering the critical temperature TC below 100 mK. A known solution is two- or multilayer films of various superconductors and normal metals to suppress the transition

Mn-doped ZnO nanopowders prepared by sol–gel and microwave-assisted sol–gel methods and their photocatalytic properties

• Cristina Maria Vlăduț,
• Crina Anastasescu,
• Silviu Preda,
• Oana Catalina Mocioiu,
• Simona Petrescu,
• Jeanina Pandele-Cusu,
• Dana Culita,
• Veronica Bratan,
• Ioan Balint and
• Maria Zaharescu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1283–1296, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.104

• -efficient than conventional heating methods [12][13][14]. This approach is particularly advantageous in technology applications, as it significantly reduces reaction times from days to mere hours or minutes and enables the production of nanocrystalline oxides in the form of powders and films on various

• of amorphous oxide nanopowders, the precipitation of nanocrystalline metal oxides, and the drying and thermal treatment of oxide films [23]. However, there has been comparatively less focus on studying chemical reactions in sol–gel solutions under microwave irradiation [24][25][26][27]. Numerous

• previous studies, the authors demonstrated that Mn-doped ZnO films exhibit superior optical and piezoelectric properties compared to undoped ZnO, with a more compact microstructure and reduced surface roughness [41]. Building on this foundation, the current article aims to focus on the methods of

New design of operational MEMS bridges for measurements of properties of FEBID-based nanostructures

• Bartosz Pruchnik,
• Krzysztof Kwoka,
• Ewelina Gacka,
• Dominik Badura,
• Piotr Kunicki,
• Andrzej Sierakowski,
• Paweł Janus,
• Tomasz Piasecki and
• Teodor Gotszalk

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1273–1282, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.103

• stresses in thin films by deflecting a cantilever of defined size from a uniform membrane. We see a need for such experiments for future improvement of our proposed RoI spacing tuning method. The proposed approach allowed us to evaluate the leakage currents separately from the nanodevice properties. It was

The role of a tantalum interlayer in enhancing the properties of Fe₃O₄ thin films

• Hai Dang Ngo,
• Vo Doan Thanh Truong,
• Van Qui Le,
• Hoai Phuong Pham and
• Thi Kim Hang Pham

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1253–1259, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.101

• promising applications. High-quality Fe3O4 thin films are a must to achieve the goals. In this report, Fe3O4 films on different substrates (SiO2/Si(100), MgO(100), and MgO/Ta/SiO2/Si(100)) were fabricated at room temperature with radio-frequency (RF) sputtering and annealed at 450 °C for 2 h. The

• . More importantly, changes in grain size and structure due to the effect of the MgO/Ta buffering layers have a strong impact on saturation magnetization and coercivity of Fe3O4 thin films compared to cases of no or just a single buffering layer. Keywords: buffer layer; Fe3O4; magnetite; RF magnetron

• K [1], as well as its high spin polarization with only one spin at the Fermi level, even at room temperature [2][3][4][5][6]. Fe3O4 thin films are an issue of interest and have extensive applications in Li-ion batteries, spin Seebeck devices, supercapacitors, spin Hall magnetoresistance, and the

A low-kiloelectronvolt focused ion beam strategy for processing low-thermal-conductance materials with nanoampere currents

• Annalena Wolff,
• Nico Klingner,
• William Thompson,
• Yinghong Zhou,
• Jinying Lin and
• Yin Xiao

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1197–1207, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.97

• different ion species, which are becoming more popular now, especially the lighter ion species where the assumption of a flat disc may not hold. Allen et al. showed that He ions can be beneficial when working with thin films [28] as they mostly transmit through the sample. The ion beam-induced heat for

Photocatalytic methane oxidation over a TiO₂/SiNWs p–n junction catalyst at room temperature

• Qui Thanh Hoai Ta,
• Luan Minh Nguyen,
• Ngoc Hoi Nguyen,
• Phan Khanh Thinh Nguyen and
• Dai Hai Nguyen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1132–1141, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.92

• tools is extremely essential and important [37][38][39]. Herein, we constructed a robust p–n junction catalyst by atomic layer deposition (ALD) of TiO2 thin films on a p-type SiNW substrate for enhancing the photocatalytic efficiency in CH4 oxidation. Pristine p-Si wafers have limited surface area and

• properties of as-synthesized samples were analyzed using an X-ray diffraction system (XRD, Rigaku, SmartLab) with a 2θ range of 20–80° and a field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM, Hitachi, S-4700). The absorption properties of the thin films were analyzed using a diffuse reflectance UV–vis

Unveiling the potential of alginate-based nanomaterials in sensing technology and smart delivery applications

• Shakhzodjon Uzokboev,
• Khojimukhammad Akhmadbekov,
• Ra’no Nuritdinova,
• Salah M. Tawfik and
• Yong-Ill Lee

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1077–1104, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.88

• 96–77%, these sensors were effectively used to identify a variety of volatile aldehydes in river water samples. It is interesting to note that fluorescent APGF@ZIF-8/CS and APOF@ZIF-8/CS films were developed as disposable, portable methods to remove formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, benzaldehyde, and

• sensor. Another fluorescence-based smart sensor from alginate nanofilms was prepared [122]. Scientists proved that relative humidity could be detected using a guar gum–sodium alginate (GGSA) nanocomposite film. The study found that the fluorescence of biocomposite films under UV light varies at various

Interface properties of nanostructured carbon-coated biological implants: an overview

• Mattia Bartoli,
• Francesca Cardano,
• Erik Piatti,
• Stefania Lettieri,
• Andrea Fin and
• Alberto Tagliaferro

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1041–1053, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.85

• response. The mechanisms involved in inflammation related to NDs are not yet clear, but authors suggest that the process is started by serum protein deposition triggering the inflammatory cascade. Moreover, polymeric films containing NDs were optimum substrates for osteoblast proliferation as reported by

• Young’s modulus of 100% and 156%, reaching 60 MPa and 0.52 GPa, respectively, after coating. CNTs are generally used to reinforce the bulk of composite-based implants [136] or added to polymeric films [135]. Interestingly, they can be mixed with hydroxyapatite in order to magnify the compatibility with

• of the superior friction reduction achievable using thin ND films as reported by Blum and co-workers [142]. The authors sintered a 75 µm thick layer of NDs onto an aluminum alloy using a focused laser beam and reached a friction coefficient smaller than 0.2. Similar results can be obtained by using

Beyond biomimicry – next generation applications of bioinspired adhesives from microfluidics to composites

• Dan Sameoto

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 965–976, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.79

• composites can be found elsewhere [47]; the bending stiffness D is a function of the outer film modulus Ef, the distance between the central axis of those films (defined by the core thickness d and the film thickness t), the modulus of the core Ec, and the width of the composite b. If the “core” is made of

• independent fibers, it can have an effective Ec that is close to zero when in the unadhered state and will, therefore, minimally affect bending stiffness in comparison to two independent thin films of Ef. For the simplified model shown in Figure 8, if Ec ≪ Ef and t ≪ d, then the overall bending stiffness

The effect of age on the attachment ability of stick insects (Phasmatodea)

• Marie Grote,
• Stanislav N. Gorb and
• Thies H. Büscher

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 867–883, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.72

• the cuticle could yield an appearance similar to a pad coverage by other substances resulting in dark patches in WFM (Figure 8B,H,K). Such patches usually showed no covering films visible in stereomicroscopy (Figure 8A,G) and SEM (Figure 8D,I,J). Scars on the attachment pads (Figure 8L) also appeared

Electrospun polysuccinimide scaffolds containing different salts as potential wound dressing material

• Veronika Pálos,
• Krisztina S. Nagy,
• Rita Pázmány,
• Krisztina Juriga-Tóth,
• Bálint Budavári,
• Judit Domokos,
• Dóra Szabó,
• Ákos Zsembery and
• Angela Jedlovszky-Hajdu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 781–796, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.65

• increased, which was also observed by Sim and collaborators in the case of polymer electrolyte films containing LiCF3SO3 [51]. At 1634 cm−1, rising peaks also appeared as the concentration of salts increased. It was presumably the peak corresponding to bending vibration of water, H–O–H (Supporting

• average fiber diameter could also explain this. Another study investigated different inorganic salts (LiCl, MgCl2·6H2O, CaCl2, and AlCl3·6H2O) added to starch/PVA films. They perceived that the salts improved the mechanical properties, and the increasing amount of salts increased the elongation at break

Effect of repeating hydrothermal growth processes and rapid thermal annealing on CuO thin film properties

• Monika Ozga,
• Eunika Zielony,
• Aleksandra Wierzbicka,
• Anna Wolska,
• Marcin Klepka,
• Marek Godlewski,
• Bogdan J. Kowalski and
• Bartłomiej S. Witkowski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 743–754, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.62

• and Technology, Wybrzeze Wyspiańskiego 27, 50–370 Wroclaw, Poland 10.3762/bjnano.15.62 Abstract This paper presents an investigation into the influence of repeating cycles of hydrothermal growth processes and rapid thermal annealing (HT+RTA) on the properties of CuO thin films. An innovative

• hydrothermal method ensures homogeneous single-phase films initially. However, their electrical instability and susceptibility to cracking under the influence of temperature have posed a challenge to their utilization in electronic devices. To address this limitation, the HT+RTA procedure has been developed

• , which effectively eliminated the issue. Comprehensive surface analysis confirmed the procedure’s ability to yield continuous films in which the content of organic compounds responsible for the formation of cracks significantly decreases. Structural analysis underscored the achieved improvements in the

Level set simulation of focused ion beam sputtering of a multilayer substrate

• Alexander V. Rumyantsev,
• Nikolai I. Borgardt,
• Roman L. Volkov and
• Yuri A. Chaplygin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 733–742, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.61

• multilayer films [8], the patterning of 2D materials [9], or the direct introduction of dopants into a solid-state host through recoil implantation [10]. Examples that rely on ion milling include patterning of magnetic multilayers [11], fabrication of optical metamaterials [12], and modification of

Elastic modulus of β-Ga₂O₃ nanowires measured by resonance and three-point bending techniques

• Annamarija Trausa,
• Sven Oras,
• Sergei Vlassov,
• Mikk Antsov,
• Tauno Tiirats,
• Andreas Kyritsakis,
• Boris Polyakov and
• Edgars Butanovs

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 704–712, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.58

• , University of Tartu, Nooruse 1, 50411 Tartu, Estonia Estonian Military Academy, Riia 12, 51010 Tartu, Estonia 10.3762/bjnano.15.58 Abstract Due to the recent interest in ultrawide bandgap β-Ga2O3 thin films and nanostructures for various electronics and UV device applications, it is important to understand