Optical sensor enables 100 percent quality control of ultra-thin barrier layers

30-May-2024 - A new type of sensor makes it possible for the first time to test functional barrier layers on plastic products at production speed. The Film-Inspect testing system was developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques IPM in cooperation with plasma system specialist ...

Chemists uncover cracks in the amour of cellulose nanocrystals

The most detailed look yet at the surface chemistry and structure of individual cellulose nanocrystal particles

19-Oct-2022 - Chemists in Japan, Canada and Europe have uncovered flaws in the surface structure of cellulose nanocrystals—an important step toward deconstructing cellulose to produce renewable nano-materials relevant to biochemical products, energy solutions, and biofuels. The findings—published in Science ...

Surface chemistry reveals corrosive secrets

Precise Measurements are the Molecular Lens to Seeing Chemistry

18-Oct-2021 - One can easily see with the naked eye that leaving an old nail out in the rain causes rust. What does require the keen eyes and sensitive nose of microscopy and spectroscopy is observing how iron corrodes and forms new minerals, especially in water with a pinch of sodium and calcium. Thanks to a ...

Tailor-made carbon helps pinpoint hereditary diseases and correct medication dosage

New method expands knowledge of carbon-based materials

18-Nov-2019 - Sensors manufactured with carbon-based materials can provide uniquely accurate and real-time information on hereditary diseases or the concentrations of drugs in the body. In addition to medicine, carbonaceous materials are used in batteries, solar cells and water purification. Other elements, ...

Individual impurity atoms detectable in graphene

17-Apr-2018 - A team including physicists from the University of Basel has succeeded in using atomic force microscopy to clearly obtain images of individual impurity atoms in graphene ribbons. Thanks to the forces measured in the graphene’s two-dimensional carbon lattice, they were able to identify boron and ...

How to control liquid crystal patterns

03-Nov-2017 - When Lisa Tran set out to investigate patterns in liquid crystals, she didn't know what to expect. When she first looked through the microscope, she saw dancing iridescent spheres with fingerprint-like patterns etched into them that spiraled and flattened as the solution they were floated in ...

3-D imaging of surface chemistry in confinement

24-Jul-2017 - EPFL researchers have developed an optical imaging tool to visualize surface chemistry in real time. They imaged the interfacial chemistry in the microscopically confined geometry of a simple glass micro-capillary. The glass is covered with hydroxyl (-OH) groups that can lose a proton - a ...

Three-dimensional Direction-dependent Force Measurement at the Subatomic Scale

15-May-2017 - Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is an extremely sensitive technique that allows us to image materials and/or characterize their physical properties on the atomic scale by sensing the force above material surfaces using a precisely controlled tip. However, conventional AFM only provides the surface ...

Sensor sensation

27-Dec-2016 - Microfluidic platforms have revolutionized medical diagnostics in recent years. Instead of sending blood or urine samples off to a laboratory for analysis, doctors can test a single drop of a patient's blood or urine for various diseases at point-of-care without the need for expensive ...

Understanding properties of nanoparticles and quantum dots using Hansen Solubility Parameters

16-Nov-2016 - Devices based on quantum dots and smart nanoparticles are currently getting a lot of attention. For instance, the colours, contrast and brightness of displays based on quantum dots provide benefits for users of TVs and phones. In addition, such particles can create value when incorporated into ...