X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) is an analytical technique that provides information on the chemical composition, elemental distribution, and chemical bonding state of the surface of a material. It is based on the photoelectric effect, which is a fundamental principle in quantum mechanics that explains the interaction between photons and matter. When a photon of sufficient energy is absorbed by an atom in a material, an electron is ejected from that atom, resulting in the emission of a photoelectron.

Planetary ball milling is a technique for reducing and homogenizing the average particle size of powder samples. This can also be used for mixing different powder samples into a homogenous mixture. This technique is mainly used for preparing samples for powder XRD and XRF. Our laboratory houses two (2) variant models of Retsch planetary ball mills, only differing in the number of ball jars, the volumetric capacity of each ball jar and maximum rotational speed. Both models are capable of storing 10 custom SOP’s, direction reversal and interval operation.

A Hall Effect Measurement System (HEMS) is a powerful scientific instrument used to measure the electrical properties of materials. It uses the Hall Effect, a physical phenomenon discovered by Edwin Hall in 1879, to measure the voltage generated when a current flows through a material placed in a magnetic field. The HEMS system typically consists of a sample holder, a magnet, a current source, and a voltmeter.

Contact angle measurement is a powerful technique used to determine the wetting properties of a solid surface. It measures the angle formed by the tangent to the liquid-solid interface at the point where a liquid droplet meets a solid surface. The contact angle is a crucial parameter in understanding the interaction between a liquid and a solid surface, and it is widely used in many scientific and industrial applications.

The PP 40 is a programmable press that goes up to 40 t. It allows Ø 40 mm pellets to be made using exactly defined routines and pressure parameters (maximum pressure, ramp up, ramp down and holding time) resulting in repeatable quality.

X-ray fluorescence (XRF) is a powerful analytical technique widely used to determine the chemical composition of a sample. XRF is based on the interaction of X-rays with the electrons of atoms in a sample, which creates a fluorescent Xray with a discrete energy characteristic of the atom and its chemical environment. The emitted X-rays are then measured by a detector, and the intensity and energy of the X-rays provide information about the elements present in the sample.

Ehtewish H, Mesleh A, Ponirakis G, Lennard K, Al Hamad H, Chandran M, Parray A, Abdesselem HA, Wijten P, Decock J, Alajez NM, Ramadan M, Khan S, RAHEEM THAZHE Kuni RAT, Own A, Elsotouhy A, Albagha O, Arredouani A, Blackburn JM, Malik RA, El-Agnaf O. Profiling the Autoantibody Repertoire Reveals Autoantibodies Associated with Mild Cognitive Impairment. 2023. Frontiers in Neurology. Accepted Oct 2023.

Smith M, Abdesselem HB, Mullins M, Tan TM, Nel AJM, Al-Nesf MAY, Bensmail I, Majbour NK, Vaikath NN, Naik A, Ouararhni K, Mohamed-Ali V, Al-Maadheed M, Schell DT, Baros-Steyl SS, Anuar ND, Ismail NH, Morris PE, Mamat RNR, Rosli NSM, Anwar A, Ellan K, Zain RM, Burgers WA, Mayne ES, El-Agnaf OMA, Blackburn JM. Age, Disease Severity and Ethnicity Influence Humoral Responses in a Multi-Ethnic COVID-19 Cohort. Viruses. 2021 Apr 28;13(5):786. doi: 10.3390/v13050786.

Mir FA, Abdesselem HB, Cyprian F, Iskandarani A, Doudin A, Samra TA, Alkasem M, Abdalhakam I, Taheri S, Abou-Samra AB. Inflammatory protein signatures in individuals with obesity and metabolic syndrome. Sci Rep. 2023 Dec 13;13(1):22185. https://doi:10.1038/s41598-023-49643-8.

Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) technique is significantly important to develop thin films with a precision of atomistic growth. Such sequentially pulsed process involves the gaseous phase to build a successive monolayer of film on the substrates. In addition, the reactive process also involves the use of hazardous precursor materials. This technique can be marked as Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) technique where minimum two gas precursors are required to be pulsed sequentially and precisely inside the deposition chamber. Such process includes both pulse and purges.