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NanoWorld Kinetic-controlled Crystallization of α-FAPbI3 Inducing Preferred Crystallographic Orientation Enhances Photovoltaic Performance - news

Kinetic-controlled Crystallization of α-FAPbI3 Inducing Preferred Crystallographic Orientation Enhances Photovoltaic PerformanceThu Sep 19 2024

Physical properties of #polycrystallinematerials are mostly determined by their #microstructure. As the #crystallizationprocess can determine the microstructure, the nucleation, and growth can also control whether the materials will be resulted in single crystalline or polycrystalline. Along with the morphological changes, anisotropic properties of the materials can also be controlled. *
As a result, #preferentialorientation with advanced optoelectronic properties can enhance the #photovoltaic devices' performance. *
Although incorporation of additives is one of the most studied methods to stabilize the photoactive α-phase of formamidinium lead tri-iodide (α-FAPbI3), no studies focus on how the additives affect the crystallization kinetics. *
In the article “Kinetic-Controlled Crystallization of α-FAPbI3 Inducing Preferred Crystallographic Orientation Enhances Photovoltaic Performance” along with the role of methylammonium chloride (MACl) as a “stabilizer” in the formation of α-FAPbI3, Sooeun Shin, Seongrok Seo, Seonghwa Jeong, Anir S. Sharbirin, Jeongyong Kim, Hyungju Ahn, Nam-Gyu Park and Hyunjung Shin point out the additional role as a “controller” in the crystallization kinetics. *
With microscopic observations, for example, electron backscatter diffraction and selected area electron diffraction, it is examined that higher concentration of MACl induces slower crystallization kinetics, resulting in larger grain size and [100] preferred orientation. *
Optoelectronic properties of [100] preferentially oriented grains with less non-radiative recombination, a longer lifetime of charge carriers, and lower photocurrent deviations in between each grain induce higher short-circuit current density (Jsc) and fill factor. *
Resulting MACl40 mol% attains the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 24.1%.
The results provide observations of a direct correlation between the crystallographic orientation and device performance as it highlights the importance of crystallization kinetics resulting in desirable microstructures for device engineering. *
The #electricalcharacterizations with #atomicforcemicroscopy ( #AFM) and #conductiveatomicforcemicroscopy ( #CAFM) were done to measure the local conductance of FAPbI3 films. All measurements were performed under illumination (green LED) with a 1.3 V bias using a Pt-coated C-AFM probe (NanoWorld PlatinumIridium coated Pointprobe® CONTPt ). https://www.nanoworld.com/contact-mode-platinum-coated…
FTO was used for the conductive substrates.
Conductive atomic force microscopy (C-AFM) indicated much more homogeneous photocurrent generation along the surface of (100) preferentially oriented layers. *
Please have a look at the NanoWorld blog for the full citation and a direct link to the full article

NanoAndMore Japan Presents the Applied Physics Society Autumn Academic Lectures Annexhibition @JSAP NanoAndMore EXPO Autumn Exhibiting at 2024

Visit NanoAndMore Japan at JSAP Expo Autum 2024 this weekMon Sep 16 2024

NanoAndMore Japan is at 応用物理学会 JSAP EXPO Autumn exhibition held by the Japanese society for #appliedphysics this week. Please visit us at booth no. I-24 to learn all about the #AFMprobes we offer: NanoWorld , NANOSENSORS , Olympus , nanotools , BudgetSensors , MikroMasch and sQube #colloidalAFMprobes are all available from us.
   
   Organizer: The Japanese Society of Applied Physics (Japan)
   Date: Monday, September 16 - Friday, September 20, 2024
   Location: Niigata City Akagi Messe booth No. I-24

NanoAndMore Japan Presents the Applied Physics Society Autumn Academic Lectures Annexhibition @JSAP NanoAndMore EXPO Autumn Exhibiting at 2024

今週、JSAP Expo Autum 2024 で NanoAndMore Japan にお越しくださいMon Sep 16 2024

NanoAndMoreジャパンは応用物理学会　秋季学術講演会　併設展示会　JSAP EXPO Autumn  - this is the main text
2024に出展しています。

　主催：公益社団法人 日本応用物理学会
　日時：2024年9月16日 (月)-9月20日（金）
　場所：新潟市　朱鷺メッセ　ブーズ番号I-24

 https://meeting.jsap.or.jp/
 #AFMカンチレバー #AFMプローブ #日本応用物理学会 #応用物理学  #物理学 #SPMプローブ #原子間力顕微鏡 #走査型プローブ顕微鏡 #jsap #超高周波AFMプローブ #マイクロカンチレバー #ナノテクノロジー #材料科学 #生物物理学 #応用物理学 #走査型プローブ顕微鏡 学 #応用物理学 #走査型プローブ顕微鏡

NANOSENSORS Deformable microlaser force sensing - news

Deformable microlaser force sensingThu Sep 12 2024

#Mechanicalforces are key regulators of #cellularbehavior and function, affecting many fundamental #biologicalprocesses such as #cellmigration, embryogenesis, immunological responses, and pathological states.*
Specialized #forcesensors and imaging techniques have been developed to quantify these otherwise invisible forces in #singlecells and #invivo. However, current techniques rely heavily on high-resolution microscopy and do not allow interrogation of optically dense tissue, reducing their application to 2D cell cultures and highly transparent #biologicaltissue.*
In the article “Deformable microlaser force sensing” Eleni Dalaka, Joseph S. Hill, Jonathan H. H. Booth, Anna Popczyk, Stefan R. Pulver, Malte C. Gather and Marcel Schubert introduce DEFORM, deformable microlaser force sensing, a spectroscopic technique that detects sub-nanonewton forces with unprecedented spatio-temporal resolution.
DEFORM is based on the spectral analysis of laser emission from dye-doped oil microdroplets and uses the force-induced lifting of laser mode degeneracy in these droplets to detect nanometer deformations.
The authors use gold-standard #atomicforcemicroscopy ( #AFM) measurements to validate the absolute scale of the extracted forces and to evaluate the optical response of individual droplets in order to be able to demonstrate the ability of DEFORM to extract absolute mechanical forces in a later step.
The controlled deformations of single droplet microlasers were performed using an #atomicforcemicroscope which was installed on the inverted microscope that was used for the lasing experiments, allowing simultaneous optical and mechanical characterization of the droplets.
For #indentation, a 17 µm glass sphere was glued to the #AFMtip of a soft #AFMcantilever with nominal stiffness of k = 0.01 N/m ( NANOSENSORS™ uniqprobe qp-SCONT). https://www.nanosensors.com/uniqprobe-uniform-quality-soft…
Eleni Dalaka et al. also developed a model that links changes in laser spectrum to applied force and allows to extract the eccentricity of the flexible microlaser droplets. Based on the known deformation of the microlasers, the applied force can then be directly calculated.
NANOSENSORS™ uniqprobe #AFMprobes offer an outstanding uniformity of the mechanical AFM cantilever characteristics which is particularly important for applications where a large number of AFM probes with known and near identical force constants or resonance frequencies are needed. The AFM cantilevers of the uniqprobe series are especially adapted for applications in #molecularbiology, #biophysics and #quantitativenanomechanicalstudies .
Please have a look at the NANOSENSORS blog for the full citation and a direct link to the full article

NanoWorld An explicit model to extract viscoelastic properties of cells from AFM force-indentation curves - news

An explicit model to extract viscoelastic properties of cells from AFM force-indentation curvesFri Sep 06 2024

The #viscoelasticbehavior of #softmaterials, especially #cells and #tissues, has been extensively investigated due to its importance in many biological and physiological processes that take place during development and even disease.*
The #atomicforcemicroscope ( #AFM), in particular, is still nowadays one of the most popular methods to quantify the #mechanicalproperties of cells, due to its conformity with various material types and geometries and the rather simple analysis process of the material properties.*
For a typical #AFMindentationmeasurement, an #AFMcantilever, with a distinct #AFMtip shape, moves toward the sample with a predefined velocity and indents it until a prescribed force is reached. Generally, a Hertzian model is fitted to the approach part of the force-indentation curves to quantify the apparent Young's modulus.*
Cells and tissues, however, show not only elastic but also #viscousbehavior that is evident from the hysteresis between the approach and retraction segments of the #forceindentationcurve. Consequently, assessing this viscoelastic behavior is imperative for understanding the complex nature of #biologicalmatter.*
In the article “An explicit model to extract viscoelastic properties of cells from AFM force-indentation curves”, Shada Abuhattum, Dominic Mokbel, Paul Müller, Despina Soteriou, Jochen Guck and Sebastian Aland propose a new fitting model to extract the viscoelastic properties of soft materials from #AFMforceindentationcurves. *
Shada Abuhattum et al. show that the proposed Kelvin-Voigt-Maxwell (KVM) model adequately captures the force-indentation curves of materials having different mechanical characteristics. *
Based on the simulation results, Shada Abuhattum et al. further propose an explicit force-indentation relation to be fitted to the #forceindentationcurves. This explicit relation simplifies the association of the mechanical properties with physically meaningful components and processes.
Finally, the authors apply the fitting model to a number of samples, including poroelastic and viscoelastic #hydrogels as well as #HeLacells in two different cell cycle phases, interphase and mitotic. *
Their findings demonstrate that the proposed model can reliably extract viscoelastic properties from conventional force-indentation curves. Moreover, the model is able to assess the contribution of the different elastic and viscous elements, and thus allows a direct comparison between the viscoelastic nature of different materials.*
#AFMmeasurements were preformed using a commercially available Atomic Force Microscope. To indent the samples, NanoWorld Pyrex-Nitride tipless AFM cantilevers PNP-TR-TL https://www.nanoworld.com/pyrex-nitride-triangular-silicon… were modified by gluing 5 μm diameter polystyrene beads to the underside of the AFM cantilevers using two component glue.*
Please have a look at the NanoWorld blog for the full citation and a direct link to the full article

BudgetSensors The image shows two C-AFM scans on a partially processed semiconductor device with BudgetSensors® ElectriCont-G

We are often asked whether our platinum coated ElectriCont-G AFM probes are suitable for Conductive AFM.Wed Sep 04 2024

The ElectriCont-G are not designed or recommended for C-AFM, although some of our customers use them as a cost-effective alternative to conductive diamond coated AFM probes. Fine-tuning of scan and electrical parameters is critical to preserve the platinum coating in this demanding AFM application.
The image shows two C-AFM scans on a partially processed semiconductor device. Throughout the left scan the C-AFM current remains stable. In the right scan the current gradually drops as the scan progresses indicating fast wear of the platinum coating due to abrasion and/or local heating.
AFM measurements are courtesy of the Institute for Semiconductor Technology and Nanoelectronics, Darmstadt University of Technology.

NANOSENSORS Light-Induced Ferroelectric Modulation of p-n Homojunctions in Monolayer MoS2 - news

Light-Induced Ferroelectric Modulation of p-n Homojunctions in Monolayer MoS2Tue Sep 03 2024

The association of #2Dmaterials and #ferroelectrics offers a promising approach to tune the optoelectronic properties of atomically thin #TransitionMetalDichalcogenides (TMDs). *
In the article “Light-Induced Ferroelectric Modulation of p-n Homojunctions in Monolayer MoS2” by Mariola O Ramirez, Jaime Fernandez-Tejedor, Daniel Gallego, Javier Fernández-Martinez, Pablo Molina, David Hernández-Pinilla, Julio Gómez-Herrero, Pablo Ares and Luisa E. Bausá, the combined effect of #ferroelectricity and light on the #optoelectronicproperties of monolayer (1L)-MoS2 deposited on periodically poled #lithiumniobate crystals is explored. *
Using scanning micro-photoluminescence, the effect of excitation intensity, scanning direction, and #domainwalls on the 1L-MoS2 #photoluminescence properties is analyzed, offering insights into charge modulation of #MoS2. *
The findings unveil a photoinduced charging process dependent on the #ferroelectricdomainorientation, in which light induces charge generation and transfer at the monolayer-substrate interface. *
This highlights the substantial role of light excitation in ferroelectrically-driven electrostatic doping in MoS2.
Additionally, the work provides insights into the effect of the strong, nanometrically confined electric fields on LiNbO3 domain wall surfaces, demonstrating precise control over charge carriers in MoS2, and enabling the creation of deterministic p-n homojunctions with exceptional precision.
The results suggest prospects for novel optoelectronic and photonic application involving monolayer TMDs by combining light-matter interaction processes and the surface selectivity provided by ferroelectric domain structures.
To corroborate the optical results, Mariola O Ramirez et al. measured current-voltage (I-V) curves by using two #AFMcantilevers with platinum-coated #AFMtips in contact with the 1L-MoS2 i) on a single domain region, and ii) on both sides of a ferroelectric domain wall where the p-n junction is formed. The results are shown in Figure 3c. (cited in here).
The #electricalcharacterization was carried out by means of a home-built two-terminal probe station with 2 sets of xyz piezomotors that allow precise positioning of the electrical probes.
NANOSENSORS™ AdvancedTEC™ ATEC-EFM #tipviewAFMprobes, conductive AFM tips that protrude from the very end of the AFM cantilever, ensuring real AFM tip visibility from above for a soft and accurate mechanical and electrical contact. *
To characterize the electrical properties of the system, the ATEC-EFM probes were brought into direct contact with the MoS2 flakes , as verified using a force sensor with a sensitivity of ≈1 mN located underneath the sample. This ensures a good electrical contact between the #AFMprobes and the MoS2. *
Full citation and direct link to the full article in the NANOSENSORS blog:

MikroMasch Switchable friction and wear behavior of ferroelectrics is observed with AFM. - news

Switchable friction and wear behavior of ferroelectrics is observed with AFM.Mon Sep 02 2024

“These findings demonstrate that ferroelectrics are electrically tunable tribological materials at the nanoscale for versatile applications.”
Our gold coated 4XC-GG AFM probes and platinum coated HQ:DPER-XSC11 AFM probes are used for visualization and lithography of PbTiO3 thin films, PFM imaging and switching ferroelectric domains.

NanoWorld Morphological changes of plasma membrane and protein assembly during clathrin-mediated endocytosis - news

Morphological changes of plasma membrane and protein assembly during clathrin-mediated endocytosisFri Aug 30 2024

#Cells communicate with their environments via the #plasma #membrane and various #membrane #proteins. Clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME) plays a central role in such communication and proceeds with a series of multiprotein assembly, deformation of the #plasmamembrane, and production of a membrane #vesicle that delivers extracellular signaling molecules into the cytoplasm.*
In the article “Morphological changes of plasma membrane and protein assembly during clathrin-mediated endocytosis”, Aiko Yoshida, Nobuaki Sakai, Yoshitsugu Uekusa, Yuka Imaoka, Yoshitsuna Itagaki, Yuki Suzuki and Shige H. Yoshimura describe how they utilized their home-built correlative imaging system comprising #highspeedatomicforcemicroscopy ( #HSAFM) and confocal #fluorescencemicroscopy to simultaneously image morphological changes of the plasma membrane and protein localization during CME in a #livingcell.*
Overlaying #AFM and fluorescence images revealed the dynamics of protein assembly and concomitant morphological changes of the plasma membrane with high spatial resolution. In particular, the authors elucidate the role of actin in the closing step of CME.*
The results revealed a tight correlation between the size of the pit and the amount of #clathrin assembled. #Actin dynamics play multiple roles in the assembly, maturation, and closing phases of the process, and affects membrane morphology, suggesting a close relationship between endocytosis and dynamic events at the cell cortex. Knock down of dynamin also affected the closing motion of the pit and showed functional correlation with actin.*
An AFM tip-scan–type HS-AFM unit combined with an inverted fluorescence/optical microscope equipped with a phase contrast system and a confocal unit was used for this study.*
The modulation method was set to phase modulation mode to detect AFM tip–sample interactions. A customized NanoWorld Ultra-Short #AFMcantilever with an electron beam–deposited sharp #AFMtip with a spring constant of 0.1 N m−1 (USC-F0.8-k0.1-T12) was used. *
Please have a look at the NanoWorld blog for the full citation and a direct link to the full article.

nanotools Structural Protein Changes Captured at High Temporal and Spatial Resolutions - news

Structural Protein Changes Captured at High Temporal and Spatial ResolutionsFri Aug 30 2024

Discover how nanotools QUANTUM-AC10 (Soft & Sharp) with 0.1N/m cantilevers and 2-3nm radius are applied to study dynamic structural changes of proteins during functional processes in solution.

  • Title: Deciphering the actin structure-dependent preferential cooperative binding of cofilin
  • DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.06.570358
  • Authors: Ngo, Kien Xuan and Vu, Huong T and Umeda, Kenichi and Trinh, Minh-Nhat and Kodera, Noriyuki and Uyeda, Taro Q.P.
  • Publication: bioRxiv
  • Pubisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
  • Date: May 29, 2024

NanoAndMore Stop by NanoAndMore USA booth 1407 at the ACSFALL2024

Stop by NanoAndMore USA booth 1407 at the ACSFALL2024Tue Aug 20 2024

Good Day Denver! #ACSFALL2024 has begun! What’s NEW in the #AFMProbe nanoverse? Stop by @NanoAndMore USA booth 1407 and see!
August 18-21, Colorado Convention Center
Denver, CO
Expo Hours:
Monday & Tuesday
11AM - 5PM
Wednesday
10AM - 2PM
Exclusive hours for Posters and Expo Networking Break.

NANOSENSORS Quantifying mechanical forces during vertebrate morphogenesis - news

Quantifying mechanical forces during vertebrate morphogenesisThu Aug 15 2024

#Morphogenesis requires #embryoniccells to generate forces and perform mechanical work to shape their #tissues. Incorrect functioning of these #forcefields can lead to congenital malformations.*
Understanding these #dynamicprocesses requires the quantification and profiling of three-dimensional mechanics during evolving #vertebratemorphogenesis.*
In the article “Quantifying mechanical forces during vertebrate morphogenesis” Eirini Maniou, Silvia Todros, Anna Urciuolo, Dale A. Moulding, Michael Magnussen, Ioakeim Ampartzidis, Luca Brandolino, Pietro Bellet, Monica Giomo, Piero G. Pavan, Gabriel L. Galea and Nicola Elvassore describe elastic spring-like #forcesensors with micrometre-level resolution, fabricated by intravital three-dimensional #bioprinting directly in the closing #neuraltubes of growing chicken #embryos.*
Integration of calibrated sensor read-outs with computational mechanical modelling allows direct quantification of the forces and work performed by the #embryonictissues. As they displace towards the embryonic midline, the two halves of the closing neural tube reach a compression of over a hundred nano-newtons during neural fold apposition. Pharmacological inhibition of Rho-associated kinase to decrease the pro-closure force shows the existence of active anti-closure forces, which progressively widen the neural tube and must be overcome to achieve neural tube closure. *
Overall, the author’s approach and findings highlight the intricate interplay between #mechanicalforces and #tissuemorphogenesis.*
The #atomicforcemicroscopy ( #AFM) described in the article was conducted using a commercially available #atomicforcemicroscope.*
The #forcedisplacementcurves were acquired using @NANOSENSORS @PointProbePlus PPP-CONTSCR silicon #AFMprobes with a typical spring constant of 0.2 N/m. *
The #AFMcantilever #springconstants were calibrated by the manufacturer prior to use. The sensitivity of each AFM cantilever was adjusted by measuring the slope of the #forcedistancecurve acquired on a hard reference material prior to each experiment. *
#Indentation experiments were repeated at least three times for each sample, at different locations. All AFM measurements were done in a fluid environment (PBS) at room temperature.*
The #Youngsmodulus was calculated by applying a fit of the Hertz model to the force–distance curve, assuming a Poisson ratio of 0.5, as is common practice for PEG #hydrogels. Preliminary in silico analyses of the #AFMtesting procedure were carried out to evaluate the effects of boundary conditions on the estimation of Young’s modulus.*
You will find the full citation and a direct link to the full article in the NANOSENSORS blog:
#forcespectroscopy #scanningprobemicroscopy #polymers #biology #生物学 #AFM探针 #原子力显微镜探针 #力距离曲线

NanoWorld Electrically and mechanically driven rotation of polar spirals in a relaxor ferroelectric polymer - news

Electrically and mechanically driven rotation of polar spirals in a relaxor ferroelectric polymerFri Aug 09 2024

Electrically and mechanically driven rotation of polar spirals in a relaxor ferroelectric polymer
Flux-closure structures, vortices/antivortices, skyrmions, and merons in oxides, metals and polymers represent non-trivial topologies in which a local polar/magnetic order undergoes quasi-continuous spatial variations in a host crystal lattice. These structures are now extensively studied due to emergent functionalities, but the application of electrical/mechanical fields has so far only served to destroy the polar topologies of interest. * Topology created by quasi-continuous spatial variations of a local polarization direction represents an exotic state of matter, but field-driven manipulation has been hitherto limited to creation and destruction. *In the article “Electrically and mechanically driven rotation of polar spirals in a relaxor […]

NanoAndMore NanoAndMore booth for the #NCAFM2024 is all packed up and ready to travel home

Our booth for the #NCAFM2024 is all packed up and ready to travel home.Fri Aug 09 2024

Before we leave, we would like to say a big thank you to all of you who have visited our booth during the last few days.
And last but not least we would like to thank the local organizing committee at McGill University : Peter Grütter, Catherine Boisver, Louise Decelles, Chloé Paquet and Omur Dagdeviren (École de Technologie Supérieure) for a great conference.
We hope to see you all again soon!

NanoAndMore Meet us at the 25th International Conference on Non-contact Atomic Force Microscopy

Meet us at the 25th International Conference on Non-contact Atomic Force MicroscopyMon Aug 05 2024

Meet us @NanoAndMore #AFMprobes booth at the 25th International Conference on #NonContactAtomicForceMicroscopy from August 5th - August 9th at McGill University in Montreal this week. https://nc-afm2024.physics.mcgill.ca/
The conference covers the experimental, theoretical and instrumental developments in #frequencymodulation and other dynamic operation modes with particular emphasis on aspects of #highresolutionimaging and #forcespectroscopy.
We're hoping to see you soon!

NANOSENSORS Happy Birthday Switzerland! - news

Happy Birthday Switzerland!Wed Jul 31 2024

We are celebrating tomorrow’s #SwissNationalHoliday courtesy of Basel University ( @NanolinoBasel ) with the smallest #SwissCross – made of 20 single atoms.
Enjoy the holiday everyone in #Switzerland!
( a NANOSENSORS PointProbePlus PPP-NCL #AFMprobe was used for this image achieved with #atomicforcemicroscopy https://www.nanosensors.com/pointprobe-plus-non-contact… ).

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