Defects and defect-mediated engineering of two-dimensional materials: challenges and open questions

• Arkady V. Krasheninnikov,
• Matthias Batzill,
• Anouar-Akacha Delenda,
• Marija Drndić,
• Chris Ewels,
• Katharina J. Franke,
• Mahdi Ghorbani-Asl,
• Alexander Holleitner,
• Ado Jorio,
• Ute Kaiser,
• Daria Kieczka,
• Hannu-Pekka Komsa,
• Jani Kotakoski,
• Manuel Längle,
• David Lamprecht,
• Yun Liu,
• Steven G. Louie,
• Janina Maultzsch,
• Thomas Michely,
• Katherine Milton,
• Anna Niggas,
• Hanako Okuno,
• Joshua A. Robinson,
• Marika Schleberger,
• Bruno Schuler,
• Alexander Shluger,
• Kazu Suenaga,
• Kristian S. Thygesen,
• Richard A. Wilhelm,
• E. Harriet Åhlgren and
• Carla Bittencourt

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 454–488, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.31

Interconnection morphology effects on the radio frequency response of carbon nanotube sponges

• Manuela Scarselli,
• Javad Rezvani,
• Zeno Zuccari,
• Mattia Scagliotti and
• Simone Tocci

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 343–351, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.23

• were performed in an ultrahigh-vacuum chamber (base pressure below 10−10 bar) equipped with a semi-imaging analyser MAC 2 (Riber Instruments) operating in the constant pass energy mode (with a total energy resolution of 1.1 eV). Non-monochromatic Al Kα radiation (1486.6 eV) was used (8 kV, 8 mA). The

Fast vortex dynamics and relaxation times in NbRe-based heterostructures

• Francesco De Chiara,
• Zahra Makhdoumi Kakhaki,
• Francesco Avitabile,
• Francesco Colangelo,
• Abhishek Kumar,
• Carmine Attanasio and
• Carla Cirillo

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 292–302, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.20

• both spectral and kinetic proximity effects cooperate in promoting faster quasiparticle relaxation in hybrid systems. Experimental Bilayers were deposited by DC magnetron sputtering in an ultrahigh vacuum system at room temperature from Nb0.18Re0.82 (NbRe), Au, and Ni0.80Fe0.20 (permalloy, Py) targets

Calibration of piezo actuators and systems by dynamic interferometry

• Knarik Khachatryan and
• Michael Reichling

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2086–2091, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.143

• microscopy (NC-AFM) operation in an ultrahigh-vacuum (UHV) environment at low temperature and has been developed tremendously over the last three decades [7][8][9][10][11][12]. In frequency-modulated NC-AFM, the cantilever is kept at oscillation with constant amplitude, yielding an interferometric signal

Evaluating metal-organic precursors for focused ion beam-induced deposition through solid-layer decomposition analysis

• Benedykt R. Jany,
• Katarzyna Madajska,
• Aleksandra Butrymowicz-Kubiak,
• Franciszek Krok and
• Iwona B. Szymańska

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1942–1951, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.135

• decomposition mechanisms are proposed. Studies have been conducted on ion–molecule interactions in both solid and gas phases. Ultrahigh vacuum experiments on a few monolayers of FIBID precursors, such as [Ru(CO)4I2], [(η5-C5H5)Fe(CO)2Re(CO)5], and [Fe(CO)5], have been used to elucidate decomposition pathways

Low-temperature AFM with a microwave cavity optomechanical transducer

• Ermes Scarano,
• Elisabet K. Arvidsson,
• August K. Roos,
• Erik Holmgren,
• Riccardo Borgani,
• Mats O. Tholén and
• David B. Haviland

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1873–1882, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.130

• ]. The challenge for high-resolution AFM is designing such a detector for a test mass hosting a sharp tip that is scanned over a surface in ultrahigh vacuum and at ultralow temperature. In this paper, we report on an AFM cantilever force sensor with an integrated detector consisting of a compact

Ambient pressure XPS at MAX IV

• Mattia Scardamaglia,
• Ulrike Küst,
• Alexander Klyushin,
• Rosemary Jones,
• Jan Knudsen,
• Robert Temperton,
• Andrey Shavorskiy and
• Esko Kokkonen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1677–1694, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.118

• restricted to ultrahigh vacuum. This review highlights the capabilities and scientific impact of APXPS at the MAX IV Laboratory, the world’s first fourth-generation synchrotron light source. With the APXPS beamlines SPECIES and HIPPIE, MAX IV offers state-of-the-art instrumentation for in situ and operando

• spectroscopy (XPS) is a powerful surface science technique that enables the investigation of modifications in the chemical environment of a sample surface and its electronic states, owing to its exceptional surface sensitivity. However, the requirement for ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions previously limited

• . Electrochemical APXPS Another field where APXPS has opened entirely new experimental possibilities is the study of electrochemical interfaces. Traditional XPS, limited to ultrahigh vacuum environments, has historically been unable to access solid–liquid interfaces, crucial for understanding electrochemical

Heat-induced transformation of nickel-coated polycrystalline diamond film studied in situ by XPS and NEXAFS

• Olga V. Sedelnikova,
• Yuliya V. Fedoseeva,
• Dmitriy V. Gorodetskiy,
• Yuri N. Palyanov,
• Elena V. Shlyakhova,
• Eugene A. Maksimovskiy,
• Anna A. Makarova,
• Lyubov G. Bulusheva and
• Aleksandr V. Okotrub

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 887–898, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.67

• to a molybdenum holder using molybdenum foil strips so that spectra could be recorded from bare and Ni-covered PCD films and bare and Ni-coated SDC with the (110) face directed outwardly. Before the measurements, the samples were annealed in ultrahigh vacuum (10−9 mbar) in a preparation chamber of

• ultrahigh vacuum conditions. The NEXAFS spectra of the annealed samples were registered using TEY and AEY modes, which provided complementary information about the chemical state of carbon in the volume and at the surface of the samples. The mean probing depth was estimated to be no more than 10 nm for TEY

Insights into the electronic and atomic structures of cerium oxide-based ultrathin films and nanostructures using high-brilliance light sources

• Paola Luches and
• Federico Boscherini

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 860–871, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.65

• configurations at 110 and 125 eV, respectively [23][25][26][27][28]. Figure 1 reports valence band spectra from an ultrathin cerium oxide film before and after ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) annealing at 600 °C, acquired at the two resonant energies. Using a photon energy at the Ce4+-related resonance (110 eV), the

Synchrotron X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study of sodium adsorption on vertically arranged MoS₂ layers coated with pyrolytic carbon

• Alexander V. Okotrub,
• Anastasiya D. Fedorenko,
• Anna A. Makarova,
• Veronica S. Sulyaeva,
• Yuliya V. Fedoseeva and
• Lyubov G. Bulusheva

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 847–859, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.64

• sample at 773 K in ultrahigh vacuum. The presence of the underlying MoS2 film facilitates the diffusion of sodium through the graphitic coating, but not all of the deposited sodium reaches MoS2. As a result, the sodium-induced rearrangement of the carbon-coated MoS2 is less than that of the free MoS2

• resulting hybrid and individual films of MoS2 and PyC were placed on the same sample holder to study the interaction with sodium vapor in the ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) chamber of the experimental station of the Russian–German beamline at the BESSY-II synchrotron radiation facility. Such model experiments make

• the PyC top layer and the hybrid interface accumulate sodium. Sodium deeply penetrated into the bare MoS2 film, causing a transition from the 2H structure to the 1T´ structure due to the transfer of electron density to MoS2. Annealing of sodiated samples at 773 K in ultrahigh vacuum resulted in almost

High-temperature epitaxial growth of tantalum nitride thin films on MgO: structural evolution and potential for SQUID applications

• Michelle Cedillo Rosillo,
• Oscar Contreras López,
• Jesús Antonio Díaz,
• Agustín Conde Gallardo and
• Harvi A. Castillo Cuero

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 690–699, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.53

• nitrogen pressure between 10 and 90 mTorr. The experiment was performed in a laser ablation system “RIBER LDM 32”. It consists of three stainless steel ultrahigh-vacuum (UHV) chambers for sample introduction, PLD deposition, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis, isolated by UHV gate valves

Colloidal few layered graphene–tannic acid preserves the biocompatibility of periodontal ligament cells

• Teissir Ben Ammar,
• Naji Kharouf,
• Dominique Vautier,
• Housseinou Ba,
• Nivedita Sudheer,
• Philippe Lavalle and
• Vincent Ball

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 664–677, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.51

• mW emission from a YAG laser source with an MPC600 PSU quantum laser to excite the samples. The XPS measurements were conducted in an ultrahigh vacuum setup (base pressure 5 × 10−9 mbar) comprising several interconnected chambers. The analysis chamber features a RESOLVE 120 MCD5 hemispherical

Performance optimization of a microwave-coupled plasma-based ultralow-energy ECR ion source for silicon nanostructuring

• Joy Mukherjee,
• Safiul Alam Mollick,
• Tanmoy Basu and
• Tapobrata Som

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 484–494, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.37

• lens is employed. The shape and size of the beam are contingent on the extraction voltage applied at the grid and the corresponding ion energy. The directed beam impacts the silicon target kept in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) within the target chamber. A Faraday cup, connected to a multimeter, measures the

• exploring optimal parameters to achieve stable and intense beam currents. The cost-effectiveness and versatility of this ion source make it particularly noteworthy, offering a practical solution for generating reasonable beam currents. The ion source operates within an ultrahigh-vacuum environment

ReactorAFM/STM – dynamic reactions on surfaces at elevated temperature and atmospheric pressure

• Tycho Roorda,
• Hamed Achour,
• Matthijs A. van Spronsen,
• Marta E. Cañas-Ventura,
• Sander B. Roobol,
• Willem Onderwaater,
• Mirthe Bergman,
• Peter van der Tuijn,
• Gertjan van Baarle,
• Johan W. Bakker,
• Joost W. M. Frenken and
• Irene M. N. Groot

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 397–406, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.30

• structure of materials under reaction conditions. We demonstrate this by imaging a Pd(100) single crystal at 450 K with combined AFM/STM. The surface is compared under ultrahigh vacuum and under 0.5 bar O2 pressure showing a notable increase in RMS current, which we attribute to oxidation. Also, we study

• relevant conditions. While much research has been conducted at room temperatures (or below) and under ambient to ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions, industrial conditions expose catalysts to 1000 K and beyond in pressures ranging from ambient to 100 bar [1][2]. This difference in pressure, which influences

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

• 10.3762/bjnano.15.115 Abstract Ion beam-induced deposition (IBID) using Pt(CO)2Cl2 and Pt(CO)2Br2 as precursors has been studied with ultrahigh-vacuum (UHV) surface science techniques to provide insights into the elementary reaction steps involved in deposition, complemented by analysis of deposits formed

• sublimes at 35–40 °C at 125 mTorr. 13C NMR (C6D6, 400 MHz) δ 151.71 (1JC–Pt = 1562 Hz); IR (toluene, Figure S1, Supporting Information File 1) νco: 2077, 2118 cm−1. UHV studies Experiments were performed in a stainless-steel ultrahigh vacuum system as described elsewhere [21]. Briefly, a cooled tantalum

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

• ) substrates were prepared by immersing them in a methanol bath at a temperature of 60 °C and drying them in N2 gas flow. Subsequently, the purified substrates were moved into an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) chamber and underwent a pre-heating process at 600 °C for 30 min in order to eliminate any remaining

Local work function on graphene nanoribbons

• Daniel Rothhardt,
• Amina Kimouche,
• Tillmann Klamroth and
• Regina Hoffmann-Vogel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1125–1131, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.91

• bandgap [12], which is also related to the work function. GNRs can be synthesized with atomic precision in an ultrahigh-vacuum environment using on-surface synthesis [13]. This synthesis is well known on coinage metals, namely, Cu, Ag, and Au, which possess a high electron density. To study these unique

Signal generation in dynamic interferometric displacement detection

• Knarik Khachatryan,
• Simon Anter,
• Michael Reichling and
• Alexander von Schmidsfeld

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1070–1076, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.87

• dominated by higher-frequency oscillations. Exemplary waveforms are shown schematically below in Figure 4. Results and Discussion The interferometer used for our experiments is part of a custom-built NC-AFM, operated under ultrahigh-vacuum (UHV) conditions [14]. The cantilever is a highly reflective (Rc

Water-assisted purification during electron beam-induced deposition of platinum and gold

• Cristiano Glessi,
• Fabian A. Polman and
• Cornelis W. Hagen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 884–896, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.73

• was monitored in ultrahigh vacuum by mass spectrometry, leading to the detection of both gaseous CO and CH4 species [45]. The production of these two volatile species is ascribed to two different processes: (i) for CH4 the removal of trapped species and (ii) for CO the electron-induced hydration of

Electron-induced ligand loss from iron tetracarbonyl methyl acrylate

• Hlib Lyshchuk,
• Atul Chaudhary,
• Thomas F. M. Luxford,
• Miloš Ranković,
• Jaroslav Kočišek,
• Juraj Fedor,
• Lisa McElwee-White and
• Pamir Nag

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 797–807, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.66

• . Interesting differences also appear when this precursor is compared to structurally similar iron pentacarbonyl. The present findings shed light on the recent electron-induced chemistry of Fe(CO)4MA on a surface under ultrahigh vacuum. Keywords: electron collision; focused electron beam-induced deposition

• ultrahigh-vacuum conditions [8]. The deposits had an Fe/C/O composition similar to those obtained from Fe(CO)5, which was surprising since the methyl acrylate ligand has a high carbon content. This opens a fundamental question of how much can a change in one ligand change the outcome of electron-induced

Stiffness calibration of qPlus sensors at low temperature through thermal noise measurements

• Laurent Nony,
• Sylvain Clair,
• Daniel Uehli,
• Aitziber Herrero,
• Jean-Marc Themlin,
• Andrea Campos,
• Franck Para,
• Alessandro Pioda and
• Christian Loppacher

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 580–602, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.50

• little precision. An accurate stiffness calibration is therefore mandatory if accurate force measurements are targeted. In nc-AFM, the probe may either be a silicon cantilever, a quartz tuning fork (QTF), or a length extensional resonator (LER). When used in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) and at low temperature

• ; thermal noise; ultrahigh vacuum; Introduction Since the 2000s, non-contact atomic force microscopy (nc-AFM) has established itself as a scanning probe method for the topographical, chemical, and electrical mapping of the surface of a sample down to the atomic scale [1][2][3]. When used in an ultrahigh

• -vacuum (UHV) system and at, or close to, liquid helium temperature (4–10 K, LT UHV), the method allows for the direct characterization of individual molecules with intramolecular contrast [4], opening up the field of studying on-surface reactions [5] or tip-induced chemistry [6]. The method also makes it

Directed growth of quinacridone chains on the vicinal Ag(35 1 1) surface

• Niklas Humberg,
• Lukas Grönwoldt and
• Moritz Sokolowski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 556–568, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.48

• temperatures, the periodic step edges lead to a preferential growth of two distinct orientations out of four. Furthermore, we observed the growth of one, hitherto not described, azimuthal chain orientation parallel to the Ag step edges. Experimental The experiments were conducted in an ultrahigh vacuum chamber

Electron-induced deposition using Fe(CO)₄MA and Fe(CO)₅ – effect of MA ligand and process conditions

• Hannah Boeckers,
• Atul Chaudhary,
• Petra Martinović,
• Amy V. Walker,
• Lisa McElwee-White and
• Petra Swiderek

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 500–516, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.45

• [5]. Notably, when the FEBID process is performed under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions instead of the usual high vacuum conditions prevalent in SEMs, deposits with purities up to 95 atom % Fe can be obtained from Fe(CO)5 [21]. Also, the well-controlled environment of such UHV studies revealed that

Superconducting spin valve effect in Co/Pb/Co heterostructures with insulating interlayers

• Andrey A. Kamashev,
• Nadir N. Garif’yanov,
• Aidar A. Validov,
• Vladislav Kataev,
• Alexander S. Osin,
• Yakov V. Fominov and
• Ilgiz A. Garifullin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 457–464, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.41

• the magnetization of the Co1 layer. The layers were deposited using electron beam evaporation (Co, Pb) and AC sputtering (Si3N4). The deposition setup had a load-lock station with vacuum shutters, allowing one to transfer the sample holder without breaking the ultrahigh vacuum in the deposition

Unveiling the nature of atomic defects in graphene on a metal surface

• Karl Rothe,
• Nicolas Néel and
• Jörg Kröger

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 416–425, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.37

• of defects. Experimental A combined STM-AFM was operated in ultrahigh vacuum (5 × 10−9 Pa) and at low temperature (5 K). Surfaces of Ir(111) were cleaned by Ar+ ion bombardement and annealing. The epitaxial growth of graphene proceeded by exposing the heated (1300 K) Ir(111) surface to the gaseous