Material Sciences

Carbon materials are crucial due to their widespread application in industries like energy storage. Analyzing carbon helps ensure material quality and performance. However, its structural complexity and variability, such as the presence of defects and morphological disparities, pose challenges, making precise analysis difficult.

Toner is a primary component of the electrophotographic printing and copying processes. The synthesized toner particles must exhibit some special characteristics such as particle size and shape to obtain high quality and high-resolution printed images. Utilization of smaller particle size toners has been suggested to be effective in achieving high image quality. In this study, the analysis of the particle size distribution of black toner is optimized using HORIBA Partica LA-960V2 laser diffraction particle size distribution analyzer.

Graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a two-dimensional honeycomb lattice, exhibits remarkable electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties, making it a subject of extensive research in various scientific fields.

Van der Waals heterostructures, with their unique properties arising from the weak interlayer coupling and strong in-plane bonding, offer exciting opportunities for the design of novel materials with tailored electronic, optical, and mechanical properties.

A pigment obtains, for example, its maximum colour effect only in a narrow particle size range below 1 to 2 microns. Therefore, understanding particle size distribution of calcium carbonates becomes one of the foremost parameters to be examined. In this study, the particle size distribution of the two different grades of calcium carbonate was investigated using HORIBA Partica LA-960V2 Laser Scattering Particle Size Distribution Analyzer.

Laser diffraction is a popular method for particle characterization. Coupled with an image analysis unit, we can compare in real time the classical values of D10, 50, 90 and get information about the shape or dispersion state of our particles, thus proving the usefulness of this complementary technique.

Carbon, as a constituent of matter, is broadly classified into organic carbon and inorganic carbon. Organic carbon refers to carbon contained in organic materials, while inorganic carbon refers to elemental carbon and carbonate carbon. The presence of carbonate in a sample taken from an unknown planet indicates the possibility of the presence of water on that planet. Therefore, the determination of carbonate is very important in space science.

Mono-disperse polystyrene latex (PSL) standards are commonly used to verify accuracy and proper operation of laser diffraction particle size analyzers. As these materials are somewhat different from normal materials, proper conditions and procedures are necessary to ensure correct results.

In recent years, core-shell particles have attracted significant attention due to their smart properties. Size, morphology, and composition are the key features that strongly affect the performance and suitable applications of such structures.

Emergence of organic memristors has been hindered by poor reproducibility, endurance stability scalability and low switching speed. Knowing the primary driving mechanism at the molecular scale will be the key to improve the robustness and reliability of such organic based devices.

Because Raman spectroscopy provides information on molecular composition, it is an ideal tool for studying chemical reactions. In particular it has been used successfully for studying polymerization where the change often involves the disappearance of a carbon double bond (>C=C<) as the polymer chain is lengthened by the addition of a monomeric group. In this note we will be looking at epoxy cure which is a reaction that causes cross-linking during the polymerization process to form a solid with fixed three-dimensional geometry.

The challenges of developing stable perovskite material and fabrication processes for commercial use require the use of several spectroscopic techniques such as Raman, Photoluminescence (PL), and Time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL), etc. to characterize and optimize the material design and fabrication processes.

Graphene is foreseen for a handful of electronic and optoelectronic nano-devices. Making nano-devices out of graphene requires nanopatterning. Determining the quality of patterned graphene is essential and the detection of defects demands a sensitive chemical nano-characterization tool.

Polysilicon, the raw material for silicon wafers, requires strict control of carbon content, which affects its conductivity. As higher purity silicon wafers are required, it is important to understand the amount of carbon contained in polysilicon supplied as a material. However, some carbon is present as carbonate and some is attached as CO2, making it very difficult to distinguish between them and analyze the extremely small amount of carbon.

Can we perform quantitative analysis of hydrogen in a titanium alloy to prevent hydrogen embrittlement?

In general, silver colloids are prepared by liquid phase reduction. The reducing agent type and conditions can be varied to obtain a silver colloid of a given particle size range.

Alumina (aluminum oxide) has widespread use in the ceramics industry for refractory materials, abrasives, and porcelain. Many different sizes and chemically modified grades are available.

A mixed sample of fourteen sizes of monodispersed PSL was used to evaluate the resolution and quantitative capability of the centrifugal sedimentation method.

A mixed sample of five sizes of monodispersed PSL was used to evaluate the resolution and quantitative capability of the centrifugal sedimentation method.

Certified National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) traceable polystyrene latex (PSL) size standards made by Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (TFS) were used to evaluate the resolution of the centrifugal sedimentation method.

In general particle size analyzers, particles of the same size are measured as the same size regardless of material, making it difficult to separate particles of different materials when they are mixed together. The centrifugal sedimentation particle size analyzer measures the sedimentation speed and converts it into a particle size value using the density information of the particles. Therefore, particles of the same size but different densities will have different settling speed and can be measured separately.

Pulsed Radio Frequency Glow Discharge-Optical Emission Spectrometry was used to study different electroplated samples. The flexibility of the spot size, the use of a pulsed RF source and the introduction of the differential interferometry profiling make RF GD-OES a key technique for the electroplating industry.

The colloidal copper studied in this report is a suspension in which particles of copper of 100 nm or less in size are dispersed uniformly in hexane. Copper colloids are generally prepared by liquid phase reduction.

The particle size distribution of boron carbide powder affects the manufacturing and mechanical properties of components, including packing density and mechanical strength of the final parts.

Nanoparticles easily aggregate, so their surfaces are coated with organic molecules of various sorts to provide 3D barriers or to introduce electrostatic repulsive forces between them, thereby enhancing their dispersibility.

Due to its high hardness, silicon carbide is used in many abrasive applications either as a slurry or fixed in a matrix such as grinding wheels. It is also highly abrasion-resistant.

Calcium hydroxide, also called slaked lime or hydrated lime, is a powder widely used in the chemical industry. The surface area of calcium hydroxide plays a key role in determining the manner and rate at which it reacts in chemical processes.

One of the most widely distributed and common clay minerals is Kaolinite, a soft mineral produced by the chemical weathering of aluminum silicate minerals like feldspar. Kaolinite is milled to obtain target particle sizes and surface areas which are key to its use in different applications.

The surface area of bentonite is important because it significantly influences its reactivity, adsorption capacity, and effectiveness in various applications. Bentonite clay can have a high surface area due to its unique layered structure and microscopic particle size.

The surface area of calcium carbonate plays a crucial role in determining its reactivity, effectiveness, and performance in various applications. A larger surface area means more opportunities for reactions with other substances, such as acids or other chemicals.

Hydroxyapatite is a naturally occurring mineral form of calcium apatite. It is the main mineral component of vertebrate bones and teeth and is also found in some other tissues like dentin and enamel.

Aluminum oxide, or alumina, is a compound composed of aluminum and oxygen. It is one of the most abundant minerals in the Earth’s crust and has many practical applications due to its unique properties.

Graphite’s properties stem from its hexagonal lattice structure. It is composed of carbon atoms arranged in layers, each consisting of interconnected hexagonal rings. These layers can easily slide past one another, giving graphite its characteristic lubricity.

Platinum colloidal particles are stabilized by coating their surfaces with high polymers to form 3-D barriers or using the reduction potential of platinum to impose repulsive forces between the particles.

Pulsed RF GDOES is a companion analytical tool for magnetron sputtering deposition. Magnetron sputtering is a type of Plasma Vapour Deposition. The vacuum chamber of the PVD coating machine is filled with an inert gas, such as argon. By applying a high voltage (RF, HIPIMS etc), a glow discharge is created, resulting in acceleration of ions to the target surface and a plasma coating. The argon-ions will eject sputtering materials from the target surface (sputtering), resulting in a sputtered coating layer on the products in front of the target.

Single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT’s) consist of rolled up single sheets of carbon atoms and, due to the high aspect ratio and nature of the C-C bonds, have unique properties. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) has become the technique of choice for characterizing nanomaterials in suspension due to its speed and ability to readily characterize a statistically significant number of particles.

Can free carbon in SiC be rapidly and conveniently quantified?

The abrasive particles found in CMP slurries have a size distribution which directly affects critical metrics. Particle size analysis is therefore a key indicator of CMP slurry performance. The popularity and utility of several particle sizing techniques will be discussed within.

Products used in ceramic and abrasive applications are invariably produced from powders. Particle size distribution has profound effects on processing and function of these products. These materials include most oxides and minerals from aluminum oxide to zirconium oxide. Depending on the application, particle size can effect densification, transport and mechanical properties.

Polymers are large molecules made from repeating structural units connected by covalent chemical bonds. We often use the word ‘plastic’ to refer to polymeric materials, but polymers also include a wide range of natural materials such as proteins, DNA, cellulose, shellac and amber.

Particle size is of critical importance to the powder properties and to the performance of solid oxide fuel cells. Laser diffraction has proven to be an excellent way to monitor and control particle size for these materials.

Particle size analysis plays a crucial role in the manufacture of electronic materials for dielectric applications. In all cases, the particle size distribution has a great impact on their processing and performance.

This application note shows how the laser diffraction technique can be effectively used as an inspection tool for the synthesis of piezoelectric ceramics.

Certain fluorescent molecules, known as molecular rotors, can be employed to estimate the local (nanoscale) viscosity in microheterogeneous systems by measurement of their fluorescence lifetime. This can be advantageous over the usual fluorescence anisotropy method, as the measurement is simpler and faster to perform. This is demonstrated using the HORIBA Scientific TemPro fluorescence lifetime system to monitor the gelation of silica produced using the sol‐gel technique.

For thirty years there has been a research focused onto carbonization of 3D structures especially to be employed in electronic applications. These structures are prepared with the help of lithography and pyrolyzed afterwards. For making features below 100 nm, a bottom-up approach using lipids nanotubes is attempted.

In this article, we present the combination of Raman spectroscopy, Photoluminescence and SEM-CL techniques, where the instruments weren’t physically connected. Smart nanostructured materials require a comprehensive understanding of their morphology, elemental and chemical composition. nanoGPS Suite solution allows a colocalized combination of a variety of microscopy techniques, providing a full characterization of nanostructured materials and a precise superimposition of the results obtained.

In recent years, Spectroscopic Ellipsometry application is extended to the life science. In this article, we introduce two examples from this field: Biocompatibility of DLC films and demineralization and remineralization process of tooth surface.

Raman spectra, in conjunction with Multivariate (Chemometric) Analysis, have been demonstrated to provide real-time information on the progress of a polymerisation reaction. As shown by this example, these results can provide unexpected information on the details of the reaction. in this case, the inequivalent reaction rates of the two monomers. Such information ultimately enables the process engineer to optimise his process.

Graphene oxide is a nanocarbon material with a high aspect ratio and a high surface area with a thickness of about 1 nm and a sheet length of several to tens of microns.

Research in nanoscience has garnered much interest because of the different properties of small structures compared to the respective bulk material.

InGaAs/GaAs and InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) have been identified as suitable candidates for various applications in the terahertz range by using their intraband carrier transitions.

Graphene oxide is a nanocarbon material with a high aspect ratio and a high surface area with a thickness of about 1 nm and a sheet length of several to tens of microns.

Gold nanorods are rod-shaped gold nanoparticles. Fig. 1 shows that gold nanorods have two surface plasmon bands in the directions of the short and long axes derived from their anisotropic shapes.

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) are attracting attention and being utilized as cutting-edge materials, including battery materials, due to their lightness, strength, and current density resistance. Various applications have been developed based on these characteristics.

Silica particle size standards with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) traceable certified mean diameters are suitable for a wide variety of particle measurement applications. This time, four types of monodispersed colloidal silica Sigma-AldrichTM (SA) were mixed to evaluate the resolution and quantitative capability of the centrifugal sedimentation method.

The Nanolog has a reputation as the premier instrument for the exploration of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs).

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) are needle-like materials with a width of about 5-20 nm and a length of about 100-250 nm defibrated using chemical treatment. It is important to understand the fiber size and dispersion state. It is necessary to have an analysis method that can quickly evaluate a wide ranges of particle size distribution for separated particles to agglomerates.

Nanocellulose is a fibrous material derived from wood and is used as composite materials, etc. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) are needle-like materials with a width of about 5-20 nm and a length of about 100-250 nm defibrated using chemical treatment. CNC is cheaper and more attractive than other high-performance nanomaterials as an alternative to some other petrochemical products. It is expected to be useable for oil spill cleaning, engineering, pharmaceuticals, container substitutes, biodegradable food packaging, etc. It is important to understand the fiber size and dispersion state. It is necessary to have an analysis method that can quickly evaluate a wide ranges of particle size distribution for separated particles to agglomerates.

Nanocellulose is a fibrous substance derived from wood and is attracting attention as a cutting-edge material. Cellulose nanofibers (CNF) manufactured by TEMPO oxidation are cellulose fibers that have added carboxy groups at high density. This type of CNF is made with high efficiency and is characterized by a very thin and uniform fiber width of about 3 nm. To utilize nanocellulose, it is important to understand the fiber diameter and dispersion state. To do so, it is necessary to have an analytical method that can quickly evaluate a wide ranges of particle size distribution, from well-dispersed particles to agglomerates at high resolution.

Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) technology is used as an indispensable fundamental technology in the manufacturing process of ultra-large-scale semiconductor integrated circuits (ULSI). CMP is a technique in which the surface of a substrate is softened, removed or flattened by chemical etching and frictional abrasion with a chemical slurry that contains abrasive particles. Fumed silica abrasive particles are synthesized in a gas phase reaction in flame and are dispersed as secondary particles that are aggregates of primary particles. They are known to have thiogenic properties. Although the rate of polishing is high for fumed silica, its polishing precision is inferior to that of colloidal silica.

MXenes is the largest and fastest growing 2D materials. They have unique properties such as good conductivity and a hydrophilic surface. The control of nanoscale composition would ultimately allow for engineering properties locally, gaining more control over the 2D material-based systems.

Nanocellulose is a fibrous material derived from wood that is applied to composite materials and is attracting attention as an advanced material. In order to utilize nanocellulose, it is important to understand the fiber diameter and dispersion state. 3 types of nanocellulose were analyzed using the Partica CENTRIFUGE centrifugal nanoparticle analyzer.

HORIBA Jobin Yvon’s spectrofluorometers have many applications in nanophotonics research: single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), quantum dots (QDs), and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Quantum confinement affects nanomaterials’ photoluminescence: when the semiconducting nanoparticle is smaller than the bulk material’s Bohrexciton radius, the bandgap energy is inversely proportional to the nanoparticle size.

Elemental distribution is crucial for material science. The XGT-9500 Series provides this information non-destructively.

It is not yet understood how co-crystal nanoparticles (co-crystallinity combined with nanostructuring) have superior properties to single compound crystals. Only a technique capable of probing single nanoparticles can bring answers.

Visualizing the distribution of structural defects and functional groups present on the surface of two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene oxide challenges the sensitivity and spatial resolution of most advanced analytical techniques.

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) associated to Raman spectroscopy has proven to be a powerful technique for probing chemical properties at the nanoscale. TERS in liquids will bring promising results in in-situ investigation of biological samples, catalysis and electrochemical reactions.

Segmented channel waveguides have been fabricated in single crystal KTiOPO4 through a topotactic process of partial cation exchange. The ion-exchanged waveguides maintain the high nonlinear susceptibility of KTiOPO4 to function as frequency doubling laser light sources. We apply three dimensional (3D) Raman imaging to understand and characterize the changes to the chemical bonding and crystalline structure as well as measure the volumetric structure of the waveguide segments.

2D materials are state-of-the-art in nano- and opto-electronics. Characterizing their structural properties with a non-destructive approach at the micron scale is very important. We demonstrate in this paper how LabRAM Soleil™ confocal Raman multimode microscope is the perfect tool for these materials characterization.

Many challenges remain before the promise of 2D materials is realized in the form of practical nano-devices. An information-rich, nanoscale characterization technique is required to qualify these materials and assist in the deployment of 2D material-based applications.

During the last two decades, a great deal of attention has been focused on the optoelectronic properties of nanostructured semiconductors or Quantum Dots (QDs).

Metal nanoparticles (also known as colloidal metal) have been around for a very long time. Both pure metal and metal oxide colloids are used in a wide variety of applications including catalysts, ferrofluids, biological markers, and many others. Particle size and zeta potential of these suspensions are critical physical parameters that affect functionality and stability.

Nanotechnology is extremely diverse, ranging from novel extensions of conventional device physics, to completely new approaches based upon molecular self-assembly and to developing new materials with dimensions on the nanoscale. Materials reduced to the nanoscale can show different properties compared to what they exhibit on a macroscale, enabling unique applications.

Quantum dots (QDs) are semiconducting spheres in the size typically in the range of 1 to 10nm. The size of these small spheres give quantum dots the semiconducting properties and resulting photoluminescence that would not necessarily occur for the same material on larger scales.

To access intrinsic amino acids, such as tryptophan, as probes, the UV excitation wavelengths for pulsed phosphorescence measurements have long been the preserve of low-repetition-rate gas-filled lamps or larger laser systems. Recent developments have enabled the use of interchangeable semiconductor diodes...

When a fluorophore absorbs a photon of light, an energetically excited state is formed. The fate of this species is varied, depending upon the exact nature of the fluorophore and its surroundings, but the end result is deactivation (loss of energy) and return to the ground state.

Quantum dots (QDs) have potential applications in optoelectronics, biosensing, biolabeling, memory devices, and sources of laser light.

Upconverting lanthanide-based nanomaterials exhibit a unique fluorescence anti-Stokes shift, which enables them to convert NIR wavelength excitation into visible shorter wavelength emissions (NIR to UV-Vis).

HORIBA Jobin Yvon’s NanoLog® spectrofluorometer, specially optimized for recording near-IR fluorescence from nanoparticles, includes a double-grating excitation monochromator, imaging emission spectrograph with a selectable-grating turret, and a variety of detectors.

Nanophotonics is one of the most exciting new fields to come out of nanotechnology. The quantum-confinement effects observed in these very small (~10 nm) particles can lead to unique optical properties.

Corrected emission spectra1 of carbon nanoparticles can provide excitation–emission matrices (EEMs) for a range of excitation wavelengths.

Improvements to the HORIBA Scientific NanoLog®, already the best spectrofluorometer for exploration of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), render it even more suitable for this application.

Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), consisting of rolled-up single sheets of carbon atoms, have received much attention recently.

Both TEPL and TERS images are well correlated with AFM morphological images obtained simultaneously, and all are consistent in revealing the nature (number of layers) of MoS2 flakes. Upon deconvolution, the TEPL signal is even capable of revealing local inhomogeneities within a MoS2 flake of 100 nm size. Kelvin probe measurement supports TEPL and TERS measurements and adds to the power of such tip-enhanced combinative tools. TEOS characterization of 2D materials is likely to contribute to further deployment of these materials into commercial products through a better understanding of their electrical and chemical properties at the nanoscale.

Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy reveal different aspects of the solid state structure of 2D materials. Raman and photoluminescence imaging performed simultaneously with one instrument reveals the spatial variation of the solid state structure and electronic properties of 2D crystals that is not revealed in reflected white light imaging. That ability should allow materials scientists to better design and fabricate electronic and optoelectronic devices based upon 2D crystals.

The use of TERS to reveal the defects density in the structure of CNTs is of interest for a better understanding of the electrical properties of the devices made with such nano-objects. Not only defects concentration but also local chirality changes from the different radial breathing modes, pressure effect and strain distribution can be studied at the single carbon nanotube level through TERS.

The two methods - Analysis of fingerprint modes (intralayer) and Analysis of low-frequency modes (interlayer) - give complementary results and allow the determination of the number of MoS2 layers. Method 2 (using low frequency modes) gives excellent contrast; however it does not show single layer regions (which is related to the nature of the modes, rising from interaction between at least two layers). Method 1 (using fingerprint modes) shows all the layers, but the contrast is poorer, particularly for higher numbers of layers. The best result can be obtained combining the two methods. All the measurements (low-frequency and fingerprint) were done using ultra-low frequency ULFTM filters which allow a high throughput measurement in a full Raman range, down to <10 cm-1.

Spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) is used to determine the optical constants of C60 and C70 thin films over the range 0.6-6.5eV (i.e. 190-2100nm). The information provided by the optical constants allows for a better understanding of the electronic structure of these materials.

The UVISEL Spectroscopic Ellipsometer is the ideal tool for reliable film thickness and optical constants characterization of amorphous carbon coatings, even in difficult cases where the film thickness is very thin. Roughness, and interface "adhesion" can also been determined.

Raman has shown a high potential in characterising the SWCNTs' structure. The correlation between knowledge about structure with physical and chemical properties about the tubes make the technique extremely powerful to control the quality of the SWCNTs for specific applications. Raman spectrometer capabilities like spatial resolution, spectral resolution and excitation wavelength versatility have been examined. Beside Raman, preliminary fluorescence studies are describing the potential of the technique.

The Raman spectra of the various forms of elemental carbon are very sensitive to the type of nearest neighbour bonding, and to intermediate and long range order. In many cases Raman spectroscopy is the technique of choice for characterization of carbon materials. Correlation of Raman spectral features with tribological properties can facilitate the deposition of carbon films.

Graphene is a new nanomaterial which may partially replace silicon in microcircuits and computer chips in the future. In order to better understand its quality characteristics, fast reliable techniques that deliver the right property measures are needed. Raman spectroscopy has emerged as a key technique for studying this exceptional material.

The Raman spectra of elemental carbon materials are known to be sensitive to polymorphy. For hard carbon films, the spectra of amorphous and diamond-like carbons can be band-fit to separate the contributions of the "graphitic carbon" (G band) from the "disordered carbon" (D band). The spectral behaviour of carbon films has been empirically correlated with thin film physical properties such as hardness, durability, optical transparency, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance, and can be of use for prediction of these properties without extensive alternative testing. The DiskRam has been designed to automate the collection of Raman spectra from hard carbon coatings on computer hard disk media and the extraction of parameters that are well correlated with the properties of the films. The extracted information is output in spreadsheet format for SPC at a manufacturing facility.

The colour enhancement treatment on native brown and yellow diamonds can be highlighted by Photoluminescence analyses performed with the Raman spectrometer LabRAM HR. The PL signature of green and violet diamonds has also been recorded. The defect centres responsible of the colour of the diamonds have all been detected and assigned. This proves the Raman spectrometer to be a very good tool to investigate the fine defects in the Diamond structure by Photoluminescence analysis.