Heinz Sturm

Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung | BAM · Physics and chemical analytics division (Div. 6.6) in the department of materials chemistry(Dpt. 6)

Fungal pigments such as melanin and carotenoids are distinctive markers of animal and plant pathogenic fungi as well as their environmental relatives. These complex pigments play important roles in pathogenicity and stress tolerance while also being useful as biomarkers. Accordingly, it is important to be able to identify in situ the pigments in bl...

Mechanically flexible coordination polymers (CPs) represent new directions for advanced materials design. We herein report unprecedented complexity in the design of isostructural mechanically flexible CPs, with elastic, plastic, and delaminating properties. Ab initio simulations show how these properties can be rationalised by analysis of the simul...

With Direct Laser Writing (DLW) maturing in all aspects as a manufacturing technology a toolset for quality assurance must be developed. In this work we want to introduce a first of its kind test artifact. Test artifacts are standardized 3D models with specific geometric feature to evaluate the performance of writing parameters. Test artifacts are...

Mechanically flexible single crystals of molecular materials offer potential for a multitude of new directions in advanced materials design. Before the full potential of such materials can be exploited, insight into their mechanisms of action must be better understood. Such insight can be only obtained through synergistic use of advanced experiment...

Filigree structures can be manufactured via two‐photon‐polymerization (2PP) operating in the regime of non‐linear light absorption. For the first time it is possible to apply this technique to the powder processing of ceramic structures with a feature size in the range of the critical defect size responsible for brittle fracture and, thus, affectin...

With Direct Laser Writing (DLW) maturing in all aspects as a manufacturing technology a toolset for quality assurance must be developed. In this work we want to introduce a first of its kind test artifact. Test artifacts are standardized 3D models with specific geometric feature to evaluate the performance of writing parameters. Test artifacts are...

Mechanically flexible single crystals of molecular materials offer potential for a multitude of new directions in advanced materials design. Before the full potential of such materials can be exploited, insight into their mechanisms of action must be better understood. Such insight can be only obtained through synergistic use of advanced experiment...

Mussel‐inspired polydopamine (PDA) initiated a multifunctional modification route that leads to the generation of novel advanced materials and their applications. However, existing PDA deposition techniques still exhibit poor spatial control, have a very limited capability of micropatterning and do not allow to locally tune PDA topography. Herein,...

We report a new sequence selective terpolymerisation in which three monomers (butylene oxide (BO) A, PhNCS B and phtalic thioanhydride (PTA) C) are selectively enchained into an (ABA’C)n sequence. PTA/PhNCS/BO...

The multiphoton lithography (MPL) technique represents the future of 3D microprinting, enabling the production of complex microscale objects with high precision. Although the MPL fabrication parameters are widely evaluated and discussed, not much attention has been given to the microscopic properties of 3D objects with respect to their surface prop...

The reinforcing effect of boehmite nanoparticles (BNP) in epoxy resins for fiber composite lightweight construction is related to the formation of a soft but bound interphase between filler and polymer. The interphase is able to dissipate crack propagation energy and consequently increases the fracture toughness of the epoxy resin. Usually, the nan...

Laminates of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), which are manufactured by injection technology, are reinforced with boehmite particles. This doping strengthens the laminates, whose original properties are weaker than prepregs. Be-sides the shear strength, compression strength and the damage tolerance, the mode of action of the nanoparticles in...

Boehmite nanoparticles show great potential in improving mechanical properties of fiber reinforced polymers. In order to predict the properties of nanocomposites, knowledge about the material parameters of the constituent phases, including the boehmite particles, is crucial. In this study, theAtomic force microscopy mechanical behavior of boehmite...

The complex effect of nanoparticles on an epoxy-based and anhydride cured DGEBA/Boehmite nanocomposite with different particle concentrations is considered in this chapter. A combination of X-ray scattering, calorimetry (fast scanning and temperature modulated calorimetry) and dielectric spectroscopy was employed to characterize the structure, vitr...

Whilst a decisive role of the particle-matrix interphase on the mechanical properties of nanoparticle-filled polymers has been demonstrated in the last years, the arbitrary design of this interphase remains a very challenging goal. In principle, this could be realized via an appropriate surface modification of the nanofiller prior to its incorporat...

The formation of interphases between inorganic nanofillers and polymer matrices is usually known to have a dominant impact on the overall properties of the nanocomposite. Sometimes, multiple chemical and mechanical interphases with different thicknesses coexist in one nanocomposite system. Particularly in thermosetting matrices such as epoxies, the...

The enhancing effect on mechanical properties of boehmite (γ-AlOOH) nanoparticles (BNP) in epoxy-based nanocomposites on the macroscopic scale encouraged recent research to investigate the micro- and nanoscopic properties. Several studies presented different aspects relatable to an alteration of the epoxy polymer network formation by the BNP with n...

The reinforcing effect of boehmite nanoparticles (BNP) in epoxy resins for fiber composite lightweight construction is related to the formation of a soft but bound interphase between filler and polymer. The interphase is able to dissipate crack propagation energy and consequently increases the fracture toughness of the epoxy resin. Usually, the nan...

A key application of atomic force microscopy (AFM) is the measurement of physical properties at sub-micrometer resolution. Methods such as force–distance curves (FDCs) or dynamic variants (such as intermodulation AFM (ImAFM)) are able to measure mechanical properties (such as the local stiffness, k r ) of nanoscopic heterogeneous materials. For a c...

Hydrous boehmite (γ-AlOOH) nanoparticles (BNP) show great potential as nanoscale filler for the fabrication of fiber reinforced nanocomposite materials. Notably, the particle-matrix interaction has been demonstrated to be decisive for improving the matrix-dominant mechanical properties in the past years. Tailoring the surface properties of the nano...

The image designed by Natalia Cano Murillo and colleagues shows the cross section of a ternary composite (boehmite/polycarbonate/epoxy, 80μm x 80μm). The surface was measured by AFM kelvin probe microscopy, yielding the surface potential which is shown as 3D‐surface and contour lines. The sample was further subjected to AFM force spectroscopy with...

Methods and materials are presented here, which enable the manufacturing of fine structures using a 3D-printing method known as two-photon polymerization (2PP). As traditional photolithography methods for structuring ceramic slurries do not function with 2PP, due to light scattering on ceramic particles, a novel water-based photoresist with high ce...

Thermoplastic modified thermosets are of great interest especially due to their improved fracture toughness. Comparable enhancements have been achieved by adding different nanofillers including inorganic particles such as nanosized boehmite. Here, we present a nanomechanical study of two composite systems, the first comprising a polycarbonate (PC)...

Es werden die Prinzipien, Methoden und Instrumentarien der verschiedenen Kategorien der tribologischen Mess- und Prüftechnik beschrieben: Laborprüftechnik, Messtechnik der Mikro- und Nanoskala, Simulationsprüftechnik, Betriebsprüftechnik. Die Komplexität von Reibung und Verschleiß erfordert eine sorgfältige Planung, Durchführung und Auswertung trib...

In this work the flexural rigidity of individual large diameter multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was investigated. The bending modulus were obtained by detecting the resonance frequencies of mechanically excited cantilevered carbon nanotubes using the so-called dynamic scanning electron microscopy technique, and applying the Euler-Bernoulli b...

Ectoine is a small zwitterionic osmolyte and compatible solute, which does not interfere with cell metabolism even at molar concentrations. Plasmid DNA (pUC19) was irradiated with ultraviolet radiation (UV-C at 266 nm) under quasi physiological conditions (PBS) and in pure water in the presence and absence of ectoine ( THP(B) ) and hydroxyectoine (...

Ectoine is a small zwitterionic osmolyte and compatible solute, which does not interfere with cell metabolism even at molar concentrations. Plasmid DNA (pUC19) was irradiated with ultraviolet radiation (UV-C at 266 nm) under quasi physiological conditions (PBS) and in pure water in the presence and absence of ectoine ( THP(B) ) and hydroxyectoine (...

Mechanical flexibility in single crystals of covalently bound materials is a fascinating and poorly understood phenomenon. We present here the first example of a plastically‐flexible one dimensional (1D) coordination polymer. The compound [Zn(m‐Cl)2(3,5‐Cl2Py)2]n, is flexible over two crystallographic faces. Remarkably, the single crystal remains i...

Mach die Biege! Das erste Beispiel eines plastisch flexiblen 1D‐Koordinationspolymers wird vorgestellt. [Zn(μ‐Cl)2(3,5‐Cl2Py)2]n ist über zwei kristallographische Flächen flexibel und bleibt auch bei 180° Biegung als Einkristall intakt. Laut Experimenten scheint nicht die Deformation der kovalenten Polymerketten für die beobachtete makroskopische B...

Carbon fibre reinforced composites are well established for high performance applications in lightweight constructions. Issues such as stiffness, crack resistance and shrinkage behaviour during curing were improved. Boehmite (AlOOH) nanoparticles enabled a comprehensive material design by modifying the surface properties with adsorbates and selecti...

Bacterial biofilms have the capacity to develop and thrive in virtually all circumstances and surfaces, even in the most challenging environmental conditions. The pervasive and recalcitrant existence of biofilms renders them to be a significant safety risk and economical encumbrance in a wide array of industries and technologies, and therefore is a...

Understanding the interaction between boehmite and epoxy and the formation of their interphases with different mechanical and chemical structures is crucial to predict and optimize the properties of epoxy-boehmite nanocomposites. Probing the interfacial properties with atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based methods, especially particle-matrix long-ran...

In this work, a novel boehmite (BA)-embedded organic/inorganic nanocomposite coating based on cycloaliphatic epoxy oligosiloxane (CEOS) resin was fabricated applying UV-induced cationic polymerization. The main changes of the material behavior caused by the nanofiller were investigated with regard to its photocuring kinetics, thermal stability, and...

We show that complex physical and chemical interactions between boehmite nanoparticles and epoxy drastically affect matrix properties, which in the future will provide tuning of material properties for further optimization in applications from automotive to aerospace. We utilize intermodulation atomic force microscopy (ImAFM) for probing local stif...

Understanding the interaction between nanoparticles and the matrix and the properties of interphase is crucial to predict the macroscopic properties of a nanocomposite system. Here, we investigate the interaction between boehmite nanoparticles (BNPs) and epoxy using different atomic force microscopy (AFM) approaches. We demonstrate benefits of usin...

Commercial grade-1 titanium samples (Ti, 99.6%) were treated using three alternative methods, (i) femtosecond laser processing, (ii) thermal heat treatment, and (iii) electrochemical anodization, respectively, resulting in the formation of differently conditioned superficial titanium oxide layers. The laser processing (i) was carried out by a Ti:sa...

Melanised cell walls and extracellular polymeric matrices protect rock-inhabiting microcolonial fungi from hostile environmental conditions. How extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) perform this protective role was investigated by following development of the model microcolonial black fungus Knufia petricola A95 grown as a sub-aerial biofilm. E...

Ectoine plays an important role in protecting biomolecules and entire cells against environmental stressors such as salinity, freezing, drying and high temperatures. Recent studies revealed that ectoine also provides effective protection for human skin cells from damage caused by UV-A radiation. These protective properties make ectoine a valuable c...

The chemical characteristics of two different types of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS), so-called high and low spatial frequency LIPSS (HSFL and LSFL), formed upon irradiation of titanium surfaces by multiple femtosecond laser pulses in air (30 fs, 790 nm, 1 kHz), are analyzed by various optical and electron beam based surface ana...

In recent years, an increasing trend towards investigating and monitoring the contamination of the environment by microplastics (MP) (plastic pieces < 5 mm) has been observed worldwide. Nonetheless, a reliable methodology that would facilitate and automate the monitoring of MP is still lacking. With the goal of selecting practical and standardized...

Compatible solute and osmolyte ectoine is known to be an effective protectant of biomolecules and whole cells against heating, freezing and extreme salinity. The protection of cells (human Keratinocytes) by ectoine against ultraviolet radiation was also reported by various authors, although the underlying mechanism is not yet understood. We present...

Strand breaks and conformational changes of DNA have consequences for the physiological role of DNA. The natural protecting molecule ectoine is beneficial to entire bacterial cells and biomolecules such as proteins by mitigating detrimental effects of environmental stresses. It was postulated that ectoine-like molecules bind to negatively charged s...

The determination of the microscopic dose-damage relationship for DNA in an aqueous environment is of a fundamental interest for dosimetry and applications in radiation therapy and protection. We combine geant4 particle-scattering simulations in water with calculations concerning the movement of biomolecules to obtain the energy deposit in the biol...

In addition to the acid source, charring agent, and blowing agent, the binder is a crucial part of an intumescent coating. Its primary task is to bind all compounds, but it also acts as a carbon source and influences the foaming process. A series of intumescent coatings based on five different binders was investigated in terms of insulation, foamin...

Intumescent coatings have been used for fire protection of steel for decades, but there is still a need for improvement and adaptation. The key parameters of such coatings in a fire scenario are thermal insulation, foaming dynamics, and cohesion. The fire resistance tests, large furnaces applying the standard time temperature (STT) curve, demand co...

Non-isothermal heating rate kinetics was applied to two epoxy resin systems. In situ near-infrared (NIR) measurements were taken with a heatable NIR cell which allowed the cure to be monitored by characteristic absorption bands. An autocatalyzed reaction of the nth order was shown to describe the epoxy conversion curves. Differential Scanning Calor...

Thermal insulation and mechanical resistance play a crucial role for the performance of an intumescent coating. Both properties depend strongly on the morphology and morphological development of the foamed residue. Small amounts (4 wt%) of fiberglass, clay and a copper salt, respectively, are incorporated into an intumescent coating to study their...

Lateral high frequency modulation of a scanning AFM tip was used to describe the conditions for zero friction, friction reduction and vibration induced lithography, respectively. An error was found for the calculation of true lateral vibration in the contact. This might influence the interpretation of the plot of friction, dynamic friction, etc. ve...

Lateral high frequency modulation of a scanning AFM tip was used to describe the conditions for zero friction, friction reduction and vibration induced lithography, respectively. An error was found for the calculation of true lateral vibration in the contact. This might influence the interpretation of the plot of friction, dynamic friction, etc. ve...

Ectoine plays an important role in protecting biomolecules and entire cells against environmental stressors such as salinity, freezing, drying and high temperatures. Recent studies revealed that ectoine also provides effective protection for human skin cells from damage caused by UV-A radiation. These protective properties make ectoine a valuable c...

We report on a study in which plasmid DNA in water was irradiated with 30 keV electrons generated by a scanning electron microscope and passed through a 100 nm thick Si3N4 membrane. The corresponding Monte Carlo simulations suggest that the kinetic energy spectrum of the electrons throughout the water is dominated by low energy electrons (<100 eV)....

Boehmite nanoparticles show great potential in improving mechanical properties of fiber reinforced polymers. In order to predict the properties of nanocomposites, knowledge about the material parameters of the constituent phases, including the boehmite particles, is crucial. In this study, the mechanical behavior of boehmite is investigated using A...

Ectoine is an important osmolyte, which allows microorganisms to survive in extreme environmental salinity. The hygroscopic effects of ectoine in pure water can be explained by a strong water binding behavior whereas a study on the effects of ectoine in salty solution is yet missing. We provide Raman spectroscopic evidence that the influence of ect...

The following materials were used as received without further purification: Ectoine (pu-rity > 99%) from Biotop (Germany), high purified water for chromatography (Lichrosolv) and deuterium oxide (Magnisolv 99.96% for NMR) from Merck (Germany), and NaCl from Sigma-Aldrich (Germany). The solutes were weighted within the cuvette on a Sartorius balance...