Latest News

A blast from the pastMon Feb 10 2020

Today is the last day at the Linz Winter WorkshopMon Feb 03 2020

3D Superparamagnetic Scaffolds for Bone Mineralization under Static Magnetic Field StimulationMon Feb 03 2020

Published new post (3D Superparamagnetic Scaffolds for Bone Mineralization under Static Magnetic Field Stimulation) on NANOSENSORS Blog Bone is the second most commonly transplanted tissue, preceded only by blood transfusion.Within this context, it is imperative to achieve the functional and structural restoration of damaged bone tissue. A major difficulty in bone tissue engineering arises from the fact that the bone regeneration process requires a long time for achieving a completely functional tissue. Generally, cells are seeded ex vivo into a three-dimensional (3D) biocompatible and sometimes biodegradable structure called scaffold, where they attach and grow. After the implantation into the injured site, the scaffolds should allow proper host cell colonization for regeneration purposes.* Magnetic scaffolds emerged as promising solution for this purpose. Activation of the magnetic scaffolds using external static magnetic fields (SMF) prevents the decrease of bone mineral density and promotes the bone regeneration in bone fractures. The significant alterations in cell behaviors stimulated by the externally applied magnetic fields has been demonstrated in numerous studies. For example, it has been shown that an externally applied SMF using a magnet accelerates the osteogenic differentiation of osteoblasts-like cells in vitro and triggers peri-implant bone formation in vivo.* The magnetism can also be used through scaffolding materials with magnetic properties. For example, biomaterials that incorporate magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are being developed.* In the article «3D Superparamagnetic Scaffolds for Bone Mineralization under Static Magnetic Field Stimulation” Irina Alexandra Paun, Bogdan Stefanita Calin, Cosmin Catalin Mustaciosu, Mona Mihailescu, Antoniu Moldovan, Ovidiu Crisan, Aurel Leca and Catalin Romeo Luculescu report on three-dimensional (3D) superparamagnetic scaffolds that enhanced the mineralization of magnetic nanoparticle-free osteoblast cells. The scaffolds were fabricated with submicronic resolution by laser direct writing via two photons polymerization of Ormocore/magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) composites and possessed complex and reproducible architectures.* To prove the magnetic nature of the MNPs in the polymerized composites, magnetic force microscopy (MFM) was carried out on scaffolds with different MNPs concentrations. NANOSENSORS™ PointProbe® Plus PPP-MFMR AFM probes with magnetic coating were used.* https://www.nanosensors.com/pointprobe-plus-magnetic-force-… Please have a look at the NANOSENSORS blog for the full citation and a direct link to the full article. #ExtracellularMatrixMineralization #MFM #SuperparamagneticScaffold #AFMprobes

The free energy landscape of retroviral integrationTue Jan 28 2020

New post - The free energy landscape of retroviral integration (https://www.nanoworld.com/…/the-free-energy-landscape-of-r…/) has been published on NanoWorld Blog.

Retroviral integration, the process of covalently inserting viral DNA into the host
genome, is a point of no return in the replication cycle. Yet, strand transfer
is intrinsically iso-energetic and it is not clear how efficient integration
can be achieved.*

In the article “The free energy landscape of retroviral integration” published in Nature Communications Willem Vanderlinden, Tine Brouns, Philipp U. Walker, Pauline J. Kolbeck, Lukas F. Milles, Wolfgang Ott, Philipp C. Nickels, Zeger Debyser and Jan Lipfert use biochemical assays, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and multiplexed single-molecule magnetic tweezers (MT) to study tetrameric prototype foamy virus (PFV) strand-transfer dynamics.*

Their finding that PFV intasomes employ auxiliary-binding sites for modulating the barriers to integration raises the question how the topology of higher-order intasomes governs integration of pathogenic retroviruses, most notably HIV. The single-molecule assays developed in this work are expected to be particularly useful to further unravel the complexity of this important class of molecular machines.*

The AFM images were recorded in amplitude modulation mode under ambient conditions and by using NanoWorld high resolution SuperSharpSilicon™ SSS-NCH cantilevers ( resonance frequency ≈300 kHz; typical end-radius 2 nm; half-cone angle <10 deg). Typical scans were recorded at 1–3 Hz line frequency, with optimized feedback parameters and at 512 × 512 pixels.*
https://www.nanoworld.com/pointprobe-super-sharp-silicon-ta…
https://youtu.be/qcS-d6qJFrQ

Please have a look at the NanoWorld blog for the full citation and a direct link to the full article.
#EnzymeMechanisms #AtomicForceMicroscopy #AFMプローブ #走査型走

Happy New Lunar YearFri Jan 24 2020

New post - Happy New Lunar Year (https://www.nanoworld.com/blog/happy-new-lunar-year-5/) has been published on NanoWorld Blog. We wish everyone a good start into the new lunar year of the rat. (Not only the lab rats!) The lab rat is expecting great research results this lunar year. #ChineseNewYear2020 #yearofmouse2020 #ねずみ年 #恭喜发财 #AtomicForceMicroscopy

Happy New Lunar Year!Thu Jan 23 2020

Published new post (Happy New Lunar Year!) on NANOSENSORS™ Blog We wish everyone a good start into the year of the rat! NANOSENSORS™ wishes you all a happy and successful year of the rat #LunarNewYear2020 #yearofmouse #ねずみ年 #鼠年 #AFMプローブ #AFM

We are thrilled to present our brand new BudgetSensors® KPFM & EFM Sample!Wed Jan 22 2020

Kelvin probe force microscopy work function characterization of transition metal oxide crystals under ongoing reduction and oxidationMon Jan 20 2020

Published new post (Kelvin probe force microscopy work function characterization of transition metal oxide crystals under ongoing reduction and oxidation) on NANOSENSORS™ Blog Controlling the work function of transition metal oxides is of key importance with regard to future energy production and storage. As the majority of applications involve the use of heterostructures, the most suitable characterization technique is Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM), which provides excellent energetic and lateral resolution.* In their study “Kelvin probe force microscopy work function characterization of transition metal oxide crystals under ongoing reduction and oxidation» Dominik Wrana, Karol Cieślik, Wojciech Belza, Christian Rodenbücher, Krzysztof Szot and Franciszek Krok present the advantages and limitations of the FM-KPFM technique using the example of a newly discovered TiO/SrTiO3(100) (metal/insulator) heterostructure, which has potentially high technological relevance.* In the same article a combined conductivity and work function study from the same surface area is presented, showing the possibility of obtaining full information on the electronic properties when the KPFM technique is accompanied by local conductivity atomic force microscopy (LC-AFM).* The authos present the measurement of the crystalline TiO work function and its dependence on the gaseous pressure of air using Kelvin probe force microscopy. In order to ensure reproducible FM-KPFM results, two different types of AFM cantilevers were used: NANOSENSORS™ PointProbe® Plus PPP-ContPt (PtIr-coated) https://www.nanosensors.com/pointprobe-plus-contact-mode-pt… and NANOSENSORS™ Platinum Silicide PtSi-FM.* https://www.nanosensors.com/platinum-silicide-force-modulat… Such cantilevers are widely used as conducting tips in a contact mode AFM, allowing for a high lateral resolution in conductivity measurements. The remarkable mechanical stability of the selected cantilevers allowed for the noncontact mode measurements (with a Kelvin loop) using the very same tip, maintaining oscillations at the higher harmonics of the fundamental frequency (≈75 kHz). Hence, in order to record current and CPD maps from the very same sample area, KPFM measurements were first performed with the soft cantilever forced to oscillate at higher harmonics, then the tip was retracted tens of nanometers from the surface, all feedback loops were turned down and a contact mode AFM scan was performed when approached with a single loop maintaining a deflection set point of 10–30 mV. The high conductivity of both TiO and STO materials enabled a low sample bias of +1 mV for the LC-AFM measurements to be used.* Please have a look at the NANOSENSORS blog for the full citation and a direct link to the full article. #KPFM #ScanningKelvinProbeMicroscopy #SrTiO3 #原子間力顕微鏡 #AFMプローブ

More papers on High Speed Atomic Force Microscopy – list of references updatedTue Jan 14 2020

New post - More papers on High Speed Atomic Force Microscopy – list of references updated (https://www.nanoworld.com/…/more-papers-on-high-speed-atom…/) has been published on NanoWorld Blog. We have updated our list of articles in the field of High-Speed AFM (HS-AFM) on the www.highspeedscanning.com website. If you would like to see what has been going on recently in the field of High-Speed AFM (HS-AFM) then you are welcome to have a look at: http://www.highspeedscanning.com/hs-afm-references.html We are aware that this list is far from complete so if you have used one of our Ultra-Short Cantilevers (USC) for high speed atomic force microscopy in the research for your publication and your article isn’t listed yet then please let us know. We will be happy to add it to the list. #ScanningProbeMicroscopy #UltrafastScanning #highspeedAFM #molecularbiology #lifescience

Real time dynamics of Gating-Related conformational changes in CorAMon Jan 13 2020

New post - Real time dynamics of Gating-Related conformational changes in CorA (https://www.nanoworld.com/…/real-time-dynamics-of-gating-r…/) has been published on NanoWorld® Blog. Magnesium (Mg2+) is a key divalent cation in biology. It regulates and maintains numerous, physiological functions such as nucleic acid stability, muscle contraction, heart rate and vascular tone, neurotransmitter release, and serves as cofactor in a myriad of enzymatic reactions. Most importantly, it coordinates with ATP, and is thus crucial for energy production in mitochondria.* In order to store Mg2+ in the mitochondrial lumen it is imported via Mrs2 and Alr2 ion channels that are closely related to CorA, the main Mg2+-importer in bacteria. Although these Mg2+-transport proteins do not show much sequence conservation, they all share two trans-membrane domains (TMDs) with the signature motif Glycine-Methionine-Asparagine (GMN) at the extracellular loop.* CorA, a divalent-selective channel in the metal ion transport superfamily, is the major Mg2+-influx pathway in prokaryotes. CorA structures in closed (Mg2+-bound), and open (Mg2+-free) states, together with functional data showed that Mg2+-influx inhibits further Mg2+-uptake completing a regulatory feedback loop. While the closed state structure is a symmetric pentamer, the open state displayed unexpected asymmetric architectures.* In the article “Real time dynamics of Gating-Related conformational changes in CorA” Martina Rangl, Nicolaus Schmandt, Eduardo Perozo and Simon Scheuring used high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM), to explore the Mg2+-dependent gating transition of single CorA channels: HS-AFM movies during Mg2+-depletion experiments revealed the channel’s transition from a stable Mg2+-bound state over a highly mobile and dynamic state with fluctuating subunits to asymmetric structures with varying degree of protrusion heights from the membrane.* Their data shows that at Mg2+-concentration below Kd, CorA adopts a dynamic (putatively open) state of multiple conformations that imply structural rearrangements through hinge-bending in TM1. They also discuss how these structural dynamics define the functional behavior of this ligand-dependent channel.* All Atomic Force Microscopy experiments described in the article were performed using NanoWorld Ultra-Short Cantilevers USC-F1.2-k0.15 for high-speed Atomic Force Microscopy ( HS-AFM ). Videos of CorA membranes were recorded with imaging rates of ~1–2 frames s−1 and at a resolution of 0.5 nm pixel−1. https://www.nanoworld.com/Ultra-Short-Cantilevers-USC-F1.2-… Please have a look at the NanoWorld blog for the full citation and a direct link to the full article. #molecularbiology #videorateAFM #AtomicForceMicroscopy

MikroMasch® New PosterThu Jan 09 2020

Discover new worlds at the nanoscale with MikroMasch® AFM Probes! Get our new 2020 free poster here: https://www.spmtips.com/ #AtomicForceMicroscopy #AFMProbe

On-chip integration of single solid-state quantum emitters with a SiO2 photonic platformWed Jan 08 2020

Published new post (On-chip integration of single solid-state quantum emitters with a SiO2 photonic platform) on NANOSENSORS™ Blog One important building block for future integrated nanophotonic devices is the scalable on-chip interfacing of single photon emitters and quantum memories with single optical modes.* In the article “On-chip integration of single solid-state quantum emitters with a SiO2 photonic platform” Florian Böhm, Niko Nikolay, Christoph Pyrlik, Jan Schlegel, Andreas Thies, Andreas Wicht,Günther Tränkle and Oliver Benson present the deterministic integration of a single solid-state qubit, the nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center, with a photonic platform consisting exclusively of SiO2grown thermally on a Si substrate.* The platform stands out by its ultra-low fluorescence and the ability to produce various passive structures such as high-Q micro resonators and mode-size converters. By numerical analysis an optimal structure for the efficient coupling of a dipole emitter to the guided mode could be determined. Experimentally, the integration of a preselected NV emitter was performed with an atomic force microscope and the on-chip excitation of the quantum emitter as well as the coupling of single photons to the guided mode of the integrated structure could be demonstrated. The authors approach shows the potential of this platform as a robust nanoscale interface of on-chip photonic structures with solid-state qubits.* After optically verifying the successful placement of the nanodiamond hosting a single nitrogen-vacancy ( NV ) center by performing a confocal scan, the article describes how the nanoparticle is pushed to the inner edge of the rib waveguide in a subsequent step, using a NANOSENSORS™ AdvancedTEC™ ATEC-NC tip-view AFM probe.* https://www.nanosensors.com/advanced-tip-at-the-end-of-the-… Please have a look at the NANOSENSORS blog for the full citation and a direct link to the full article. #AFMプローブ #AtomicForceMicroscopy #走査型走査型プローブ顕微鏡

Happy and Prosperous 2020 from the nanotools Team!Wed Jan 08 2020

Happy and Prosperous 2020 from the nanotools Team!

Have fun! All the best to you in 2020!Mon Dec 30 2019

Season's Greetings from the whole NanoWorld team!Mon Dec 23 2019

New post - Season’s Greetings from the whole NanoWorld® team! (https://www.nanoworld.com/…/seasons-greetings-from-the-who…/) has been published on NanoWorld® Blog. The whole team at NanoWorld AFM probes wishes you Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! #HappyHolidays #AFMprobes #SeasonsGreetings2019 #nanoscience #AFMプローブ

Merry Christmas and happy 2020 from BudgetSensors®Mon Dec 23 2019

Season's Greetings from NANOSENSORS™ AFM probesFri Dec 20 2019

Published new post (Season’s Greetings from NANOSENSORS™ AFM probes) on NANOSENSORS™ Blog The first reindeer have been spotted! This is a sure sign that it is again time to wish all users of our AFM probes Happy Holidays! We are looking forward to another year with you. First reindeer spotted in the foggy park! Enjoy the holiday season! #christmasseason #AtomicForceMicroscopy #SPMプローブ

Magnetic reversal in perpendicularly magnetized antidot arrays...Mon Dec 16 2019

New post - Magnetic reversal in perpendicularly magnetized antidot arrays with intrinsic and extrinsic defects (https://www.nanoworld.com/…/magnetic-reversal-in-perpendic…/) has been published on NanoWorld Blog.
Defects can significantly affect performance of nanopatterned magnetic devices, therefore their influence on the material properties has to be understood well before the material is used in technological applications. However, this is experimentally challenging due to the inability of the control of defect characteristics in a reproducible manner.*

In “Magnetic reversal in perpendicularly magnetized antidot arrays with intrinsic and extrinsic defects» Michal Krupinski, Pawel Sobieszczyk, Piotr Zieliński and Marta Marszałek construct a micromagnetic model, which accounts for intrinsic and extrinsic defects associated with the polycrystalline nature of the material and with corrugated edges of nanostructures.*

The findings described in their article show that magnetic properties and domain configuration in nanopatterned systems are strongly determined by the defects, the heterogeneity of the nanostructure sizes and edge corrugations, and that such imperfections play a key role in the processes of magnetic reversal.*

The magnetic imaging described in the article cited above was performed using NanoWorld MFMR AFM probes for magnetic force microscopy (MFMR). https://www.nanoworld.com/pointprobe-magnetic-force-microsc…

Please have a look at the NanoWorld blog for the full citation and a direct link to the full article. #ferromagnetism #MagneticProperties #AtomicForceMicroscopy

Single layer graphene induces load-bearing molecular layering at...Wed Dec 11 2019

Published new post (Single layer graphene induces load-bearing molecular layering at the hexadecane-steel interface) on NANOSENSORS Blog

Carbon-based layers play an important role in boundary lubrication, from graphite as commercial solid lubricant in a spray can over diamond-like carbon coatings in automotive industries all the way to graphitic layers found in metal-metal hip implants. With increasing availability of graphene, the two-dimensional building block of graphite, its possible role in lubrication is being explored. *

After the discovery of friction and wear reduction on steel surfaces by graphene in a variety of environments, graphene is now emerging as new lubricant. Polymer composites with graphene exhibit improved tribological properties due to wear reduction by efficient transfer layers. The composite approach has been successfully extended to multilayers of polymer and graphene. The use of graphene as additive in formulated lubricant oils is also promising after functionalization to improve solubility. *

In their letter “Single layer graphene induces load-bearing molecular layering at the hexadecane-steel interface” G. Krämer, C. Kim, K-S. Kim and R. Bennewitz report experimental results for fundamental lubrication properties of the interface between a hexadecane model lubricant and a steel surface modified by a single layer graphene. Using high-resolution force microscopy, they quantify that the reduction of friction on graphene is connected to an ordered layer of adsorbed hexadecane molecules and that the graphene induces an ordering in molecular layers in the confined liquid above graphene patches. *

A single layer of graphene on steel surfaces causes a change in the near-surface structure of the model lubricant hexadecane. Hexadecane adsorbs in an ordered layer aligned straight molecules, and this layer is stable under scanning in contact with the tip of an atomic force microscope, while no such layer is observed on the steel substrate. Graphene and hexadecane layer reduce friction at the nanoscale by a factor of three compared to the bare steel in hexadecane. *

All AFM measurements described in this letter were performed using a NANOSENSORS™ PointProbe® Plus PPP-CONTR AFM probe at room temperature with a home-built fluid cell where the cantilever was fully immersed in hexadecane.* https://www.nanosensors.com/pointprobe-plus-contact-mode-af…

Please have a look at the NANOSENSORS blog for the full citation and a direct link to the full article. #graphene #hexadecane #polymers #lubricants #AFM

Flexible Robust and High‐Density FeRAM from Array of Organic Ferroelectric Nano‐Lamellae by Self‐AssemblyTue Dec 10 2019

New post - Flexible Robust and High‐Density FeRAM from Array of Organic Ferroelectric Nano‐Lamellae by Self‐Assembly (https://www.nanoworld.com/…/flexible-robust-and-high%e2%80…/) has been published on NanoWorld® Blog. Ferroelectric memories are endowed with high data storage density by nanostructure designing, while the robustness is also impaired. For organic ferroelectrics favored by flexible memories, low Curie transition temperature limits their thermal stability.* In their article “Flexible Robust and High‐Density FeRAM from Array of Organic Ferroelectric Nano‐Lamellae by Self‐Assembly “ Mengfan Guo, Jianyong Jiang, Jianfeng Qian, Chen Liu, Jing Ma, Ce‐Wen Nan and Yang Shen demonstrate that a ferroelectric random access memory ( FeRAM ) with high thermal stability and data storage density of ≈60 GB inch−2 could be achieved from an array of edge‐on nano‐lamellae by low‐temperature self‐assembly of P(VDF‐TrFE).* The self‐assembled P(VDF‐TrFE) described in the article exhibits high storage density of 60 GB inch−2 as a prototype of flexible FeRAM. The authors experimentally determine the self‐assembled FeRAM stored data more robustly, with temperature endurance enhanced over 10 °C and reliable thermal cycling ability. The article shows a novel path to address the thermal stability issues in organic FeRAMs and presents a detailed analysis about the origin of enhanced performance in aligned P(VDF‐TrFE). * NanoWorld® Arrow-CONTPt AFM probes with a conducting Pt/Ir coating were used for the Piezoresponse Force Microscopy ( PFM ) measurements described in this article.https://www.nanoworld.com/contact-mode-platinum-coated-afm-… Please have a look at the NanoWorld® blog for the full citation and a direct link to the full article. #ferroelectrics #polymers #materialsresearch #AFMprobes