Amorphous Research Articles

High-selectivity NIR amorphous silicon-based plasmonic photodetector at room temperature

This study employed amorphous materials to construct a Near-Infrared (NIR) photodetector, enabling optical sensing over a non-crystalline platform. Utilizing an Au/a-Si Schottky junction with an interfacial oxide layer, the device showcased its capability as a NIR photodetector, effectively operating within a wavelength range of up to 1700 nm. Remarkably, it exhibited significant surface plasmon resonance peaks with high selectivity, a full-width at half-maximum of less than 3°, and a sensitivity of −33.3 dBm, demonstrated at room temperature and zero-biasing conditions. Barrier lowering under biasing further increases the device's responsivity by an order of magnitude, revealing absorption capabilities that exceed the material's intrinsic bandgap limitations. This advancement opens the door to developing highly selective detectors using cost-effective amorphous materials and straightforward design. Additionally, a-Si-based photodetectors contribute to environmental preservation as they do not contain toxic heavy metals, establishing them as one of the most Eco-friendly detection solutions.

Preparation, characterization, stability, and antioxidant of quercetin-loaded hyaluronic acid complexes via pH-induced co-assembly

The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of constructing an oral delivery system for quercetin (QUT) using hyaluronic acid (HA) as the wall material. The findings revealed that when the mass ratio of QUT to HA was 1:10, the prepared QUT-HA complexes exhibited excellent stability (particle size of 802 nm, zeta potential of -36 mV) and QUT loading capacity (encapsulation efficiency of 79.77%, loading capacity of 89.65 mg/g). The characterization of QUT-HA complex confirmed the formation of hydrogen bond between QUT and HA, resulting in a homogeneously dispersed coral-like complex and leading to the transformation of QUT's crystal structure into an amorphous state. Environmental stability analysis demonstrated that the QUT-HA complex maintains good stability within an ionic concentration range of 0-500 mM, a pH range of 3-8, and at temperatures of 50-90°C. In vitro simulations of gastrointestinal digestion indicated that the QUT-HA complex aggregates during simulated gastric fluid digestion and dissociates following simulated intestinal fluid digestion, effectively enhancing the bioaccessibility of QUT. Antioxidant assays showed that the scavenging ability of QUT against DPPH and ABTS radicals was significantly improved by complex loading. Therefore, the QUT-HA complex developed in this study possesses a high QUT loading capacity, excellent processing and digestive stability, and can effectively enhance the bioaccessibility and antioxidant activity of QUT, making it a promising candidate for use as an oral nutritional supplement in the field of functional foods.

Encapsulation of Antarctic krill peptide by polysaccharide-based nanoparticles: Preparation, characterization, evaluation of stability and hypoglycemic activity

The aim of this study was to construct a chitosan quaternary ammonium salt (HTCC)/sodium alginate (SA) nanoparticle delivery system for the encapsulation of Antarctic krill peptide (AKP), with the goal of enhancing its stability and post-digestive hypoglycemic activity. Additionally, the effect of the content and encapsulation sequence of HTCC/SA on the structure and properties of AKP-loaded nanoparticles (AKP-loaded NPs) was investigated. As the content of the outermost wall material (HTCC) increased, the particle size of nanoparticles initially increased and then decreased. Concurrently, the zeta potential showed a trend of increase, ranging from -38.77 to 46.07 mV. When SA was used as the outermost wall material, the nanoparticles exhibited a smaller particle size (240.1 nm) and better dispersibility. Electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bonding were the major forces involved in the formation of AKP-loaded NPs. X-ray diffraction revealed that AKP was successfully encapsulated in an amorphous state. Scanning electron microscopy showed that AKP-loaded NPs had an elliptical or blocky appearance. Moreover, AKP-loaded NPs demonstrated good storage and temperature stability, while nanoparticles with HTCC in the outermost layer (HTCC:SA=2:1) showed good pH and ionic stability. During simulated digestion, AKP-loaded NPs inhibited the release of AKP in gastric fluid. Consequently, the hypoglycemic activity of digested AKP-loaded NPs was remarkably higher than unencapsulated AKP. Notably, the nanoparticles with HTCC in the outermost layer provided superior hypoglycemic activity. In summary, the polysaccharide-based delivery system exhibited great potential to improve the stability and post-digestive hypoglycemic activity of AKP, broadening its applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Transient Structural Transition in Ovonic Threshold Switching Glass

AbstractOvonic threshold switching (OTS), characterized by a rapid resistance drop in chalcogenide glass, has enabled the realization of memory and selectors. Despite over five decades of development, the challenges in characterizing the transient switching in amorphous materials upon reaching the threshold voltage have hindered the establishment of its underlying mechanism. This study uses femtosecond terahertz spectroscopy and ab initio simulation to elucidate the dynamics of the free‐carrier and IR‐active phonons involved in OTS. Specifically, in Te‐rich amorphous GeTe, the generation of transient phonons is observed within picoseconds, a phenomenon associated with an increased Born effective charge due to the alignment of Te‐centered bonds. The findings demonstrate a correlation between the enhancement of polarizability, due to orbital alignment during the disorder–order structural transition while maintaining a macroscopic amorphous structure, and the switching behavior. These results provide valuable insights into the enigmatic OTS phenomenon.

Pyrolytic Carbon: An Inexpensive, Robust, and Versatile Electrode for Synthetic Organic Electrochemistry.

Synthetic organic electrochemistry is recognized as one of the most sustainable forms of redox chemistry that can enable a wide variety of useful transformations. In this study, readily prepared pyrolytic carbon electrodes are explored in several powerful rAP transformations as well as C-C and C-N bond forming reactions. Pyrolytic carbon provides an alternative to classic amorphous carbon-based materials that are either expensive or ill-suited to large-scale flow reactions.

Exploring Structural Anisotropy in Amorphous Tb-Co via Changes in Medium-Range Ordering.

Amorphous thin films grown by magnetron co-sputtering exhibit changes in atomic structure with varying growth and annealing temperatures. Structural variations influence the bulk properties of the films. Scanning nanodiffraction performed in a transmission electron microscope (TEM) is applied to amorphous Tb17Co83 (a-Tb-Co) films deposited over a range of temperatures to measure relative changes in medium-range ordering (MRO). These measurements reveal an increase in MRO with higher growth temperatures and a decrease in MRO with higher annealing temperatures. The trend in MRO indicates a relationship between the growth conditions and local atomic ordering. By tilting select films, the TEM measures variations in the local atomic structure as a function of orientation within the films. The findings support claims that preferential ordering along the growth direction results from temperature-mediated adatom configurations during deposition, and that oriented MRO correlates with increased structural anisotropy, explaining the strong growth-induced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy found in rare earth-transition metal films. Beyond magnetic films, we propose the tilted FEM workflow as a method of extracting anisotropic structural information in a variety of amorphous materials with directionally dependent bulk properties, such as films with inherent bonding asymmetry grown by physical vapor deposition.

Tailoring of the Properties of Amorphous Mesoporous Titanosilicates Active in Acetone Condensation

Amorphous mesoporous materials are promising as catalysts for processes involving or forming bulk molecules. In a reaction such as acetone condensation to form mesitylene, an effective catalyst should not only have a developed porous structure but also have active centers of acidic and basic types. The sol–gel approach allows one to obtain titanosilicates with such characteristics. This work demonstrates the possibility of controlling their properties by varying the conditions for the synthesis of titanosilicate gels. It has been established that controlling hydrolysis allows one to increase the activity of amorphous mesoporous titanosilicates by 10 times: from acetone conversion of 6% to 60%. It has been shown that the use of titanium acetylacetonate complexes in the synthesis of gels leads to an increase in the content of tetracoordinated Ti in the structure and contributes to an increase in the acidity of titanosilicates. During the condensation of acetone on the obtained mesoporous titanosilicates, high acetone conversion (60–79%) and mesitylene selectivity of up to 83% were achieved.

Magnetic order in nanogranular iron germanium (Fe0.53Ge0.47) films

We study the effect of strain on the magnetic properties and magnetization configurations in nanogranular FexGe1-xfilms (x=0.53±0.05) with and without B20 FeGe nanocrystals surrounded by an amorphous structure. Relaxed films on amorphous silicon nitride membranes reveal a disordered skyrmion phase while films near and on top of a rigid substrate favor ferromagnetism and an anisotropic hybridization of Fedlevels and spin-polarized Gespband states. The weakly coupled topological states emerge at room temperature and become more abundant at cryogenic temperatures without showing indications of pinning at defects or confinement to individual grains. These results demonstrate the possibility to control magnetic exchange and topological magnetism by strain and inform magnetoelasticity-mediated voltage control of topological phases in amorphous quantum materials.

Abstract 4120573: Abrupt cardiac rupture of the patient with ATTR amyloidosis

A Japanese male in his 80s was admitted to our emergency department with chest pain. His prior history was syncope and ventricular tachycardia. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) revealed thickening of the basal part of the antero-septal wall and thinning of the basal part of the inferior wall. Coronary angiography (CAG), cardiac MRI and blood test revealed no specific abnormalities. The day before his emergency admission, he visited the cardiology outpatient department for a periodic examination of cardiac hypertrophy. ECG, chest X-ray, and TTE were unchanged from his prior examination. However, that night, he experienced chest pain and was transferred to our hospital. On arrival, his vital signs were critical, with a blood pressure of 70/59 mmHg. ECG indicated ST elevation in antero-lateral leads. TTE detected pericardial effusion, and contrast-enhanced CT identified two focal areas of non-enhancement in the myocardium and pericardial effusion without signs of aortic dissection. CAG revealed no significant stenosis or obstructive lesion. During coronary angiography, the patient deteriorated to asystole. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation and percutaneous pericardial drainage were initiated. Hemorrhagic pericardial effusion was aspirated. Immediate surgical hemostasis was undergone, revealing about 2 cm lacerations and hematoma in the anterior and inferior wall. After surgery, he complained of abdominal discomfort. Esophageal gastrointestinal endoscopy was undergone to investigate the abdominal discomfort, and he was diagnosed with early gastric cancer. Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) was undergone, and histopathological examination revealed adenocarcinoma and eosinophilic amorphous materials deposited in the submucosal vessels. Congo red staining of the submucosal vessels revealed orange-red areas. A technetium-99m pyrophosphatase scintigraphy showed Grade 2 uptake in the heart. Transthyretin (TTR) staining was positive in the specimen from ESD, leading to a diagnosis of TTR amyloidosis. Genetic test for TTR was negative, which led to a diagnosis of wild-type TTR amyloidosis and tafamidis was started. In cases of acute pericardial effusion and/or cardiac rupture, it is imperative to consider cardiac amyloidosis as a potential etiology, in addition to myocardial infarction and aortic dissection, especially in patients with left ventricular wall thickening, neuropathy, or abnormal ECG, also known as “red flag”.

Regulation of Glass Transition Temperature in Thermo‐Responsive Epoxy Shape Memory Polymers: The Roles of Chemical Crosslinking Density and Chain Flexibility

ABSTRACTShape memory polymers (SMPs) are novel kinds of smart materials whose shape can be changed in external conditions such as heat stimulus. Due to their excellent structural versatility and high elastic strain, they have important applications in the field of biomaterials. Here, a series of amorphous shape memory polymer materials are prepared and their shape memory properties and glass transition temperature (Tg) are also investigated. A special kind of epoxy polymer, whose shape can be changed at around physiological temperature, is synthesized by regulating the crosslinking density and introducing flexible aliphatic epoxy chains. The shape memory function of this epoxy polymer is studied by deformation test. In addition, to explore their application in the field of biomedical materials, the biocompatibility of the materials are evaluated, including the effects on the erythrocyte hemolysis rate and cell activity. The experimental results show that this kind of epoxy polymer has good shape memory function and biocompatibility.

Silver Antimony Sulfide thin films and its Selenization on Stainless Steel Substrates by Chemical Bath Deposition

Abstract In this study, 304 stainless steel (SS304) substrates were used for the first time for the deposition of cubic silver antimony sulfide selenide (AgSb(S,Se)2) films. The AgSbS2 films were deposited using chemical bath deposition (CBD) followed by a one-step selenization process. Amorphous AgSbS2 films were produced through two sequential chemical depositions carried out over 4 hours at 2 °C. The transformation from the amorphous state to cubic AgSb(S,Se)2 was achieved via selenization under ambient air conditions. Grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD) confirmed the formation of cubic AgSbS1.7Se0.3 and AgSbS1.5Se0.5 solid solutions, with a calculated crystal size of approximately 9 nm. Raman spectroscopy revealed the amorphous nature of the as-deposited AgSbS2 films, with an asymmetric band observed at 331 cm-1, while polycrystalline AgSb(S,Se)2 films exhibited vibrational modes at 147, 190, 205, 253, 270, 324, and 493 cm-1. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis indicated a transformation of the granular morphology of AgSbS2 films into a smoother surface upon selenization. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) detected selenium incorporation up to 11.4 atomic percent (at%) in the AgSbS1.5Se0.5 film. The optical band gap (Eg) was modulated from 1.71 eV to 1.47 eV, depending on the selenium content introduced through selenization. The C/SS304/AgSb(S,Se)2/C structure fabricated on stainless steel substrates exhibited ohmic contact, suggesting its potential for application in flexible solar cells.

Silibinin-Loaded Amphiphilic PLGA–Poloxamer Nanoparticles: Physicochemical Characterization, Release Kinetics, and Bioactivity Evaluation in Lung Cancer Cells

Despite its potential against several carcinomas, the pharmacological efficacy of silibinin (SLB) is hampered by poor solubility, absorption, and oral bioavailability. To face these issues, we developed polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) coated with hydrophilic polyethene oxide (PEO) for controlled and targeted SLB delivery. NPs were produced at two different SLB loadings and presented a spherical shape with smooth surfaces and stable size in water and cell culture medium. The encapsulation efficiencies were found to be >84%, and thermal analysis revealed that the SLB was present in an amorphous state within the NPs. In vitro SLB release experiments revealed that at the lowest SLB loading, desorption of the active molecule from the surface or nanoporosities of the NPs mainly dictates release. In contrast, at the highest SLB loading, diffusion primarily regulates release, with negligible contributions from other mechanisms. Cell experiments showed that, compared with the free drug, SLB loaded in the produced NPs significantly increased the bioactivity against H1299, H1975, and H358 cells.

Preparation and characterization of soluplus-based nanosuspension for dissolution enhancement of indomethacin using ultrasonic assisted precipitation method for formulation and Box-Behnken design for optimization

Objectives Nanosuspensions are increasingly recognized as a valuable technology for enhancing poorly water-soluble drugs’ solubility and dissolution rate, thereby improving their bioavailability. In this study, we employed ultrasonic-assisted precipitation to fabricate nanosuspensions of indomethacin (IND), utilizing Soluplus® (Sol) as a stabilizing agent. Our objectives were driven by hypotheses centered on optimizing formulation variables and developing predictive models for optimal IND formulations. Significance This research highlights the Box-Behnken design (BBD) as a powerful tool that optimizes the properties of IND nanosuspensions, thus significantly enhancing their dissolution rate. Methods The impacts of the independent variables on the mean particle size (MPS), polydispersity index (PDI), and zeta potential (ZP) were investigated using BBD. The optimized nanosuspension was freeze-dried with 3% trehalose to produce a dry nanosuspension (DNS). The DNS was characterized by SEM, DSC, XRPD, solubility, and dissolution. Results The IND: Sol ratio and sonication power significantly affected the MPS and ZP of the nanosuspensions. The optimized formulation showed MPS, PDI, and ZP of 144.77 ± 6.68 nm, 0.26 ± 0.08, and −24.6 ± 1.90 mV, respectively. The DNS exhibited spherical particle morphology. The DSC and XRPD confirmed the amorphous state of IND with enhanced solubility and dissolution of IND. DNS showed a 3.7-fold increase in drug release in the first 15 min compared with raw IND. Conclusions This study demonstrated the critical role of BBD in accurately predicting the values of independent variables essential for formulating optimal nanosuspensions. These formulations possess specific properties that can be effectively integrated into various dosage forms tailored for different routes of administration.

Quantitative Analysis of Amorphous Form in Indomethacin by Near Infrared Spectroscopy Combined with Partial Least Squares Regression Analysis

Indomethacin (INDO) is a synthetic non-steroidal antipyretic, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory drug that commonly exists in both amorphous and crystalline states. Its amorphous state (A-INDO) is utilized by pharmaceutical companies as an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in the production of INDO drugs due to its higher apparent solubility and bioavailability. The crystal state also encompasses various crystal forms such as the α-crystal form (α-INDO) and γ-crystal form (γ-INDO), with the highly crystalline and insoluble γ-INDO being commercially available. A-INDO, existing in a thermodynamically high-energy state, is susceptible to several factors during the preparation, storage, and transportation of API leading to its conversion into γ-INDO, thus impacting the bioavailability and efficacy of INDO drugs. Therefore, quantitative analysis of the A-INDO/γ-INDO content in INDO API becomes essential for controlling the production quality of INDO. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the feasibility of NIR for the quantitative analysis of A-INDO in INDO API, and to further elucidate its quantitative analysis mechanism. The NIR spectral data were collected for A-INDO and γ-INDO binary mixture samples with different resolutions, and these spectra were then selected and reconstructed using the interval partial least square (iPLS) method. Different pretreatment methods were employed to enhance the reconstructed spectra by highlighting relevant eigen information while eliminating invalid information caused by environmental factors or physical characteristics of samples. The most suitable PLSR model for quantitative analysis of A-INDO within the range of 0.0000–100.0000% w/w% was established, screened, and validated. From various perspectives, including distribution of spectral effective information, impact of resolution on PLSR model performance, variance contribution/cumulative variance contribution of PLSR model principal components (PCs), PCI loadings, relationship between spectral scores, and A-INDO content, feasibility assessment was conducted for the quantitative analysis of A-INDO in INDO using NIR spectroscopy. Additionally, a detailed investigation on the quantitative analysis mechanism of the optimal PLSR model was undertaken including the correlation between the characteristic peaks of spectra and information regarding hydrogen groups or hydrogen bonds in A-INDO or γ-INDO molecules. This study aims to provide theoretical support for the quantitative analysis of A-INDO in INDO API as well as serve as a reliable reference method for API quantification and quality control in similar drugs.

Analysis of Local Structure of Mechanical and Thermal Rearrangements in Glasses with the Atomic Cluster Expansion.

We explore the structural signatures of excitations in amorphous materials with the atomic cluster expansion (ACE), a universal and complete linear basis of descriptors of the atomic environment. Body-orderd linear classifiers are constructed that distinguish between active and inactive particles in three different model glass formers, in which structural relaxation occurs either through spontaneous thermal activation or by simple shear. We find that in binary mixtures, maximum prediction accuracy is already achieved with very few two-body correlations, while a polymer glass requires both two- and three-body correlations. Trends are robust across both activation mechanisms.

Correlation analysis of composition, microstructure, and final properties of porcelain tiles: an experimental study

Abstract This study deals with the intricate relationship between composition, microstructure and the final properties of porcelain tiles namely bulk density, water absorption, thermal expansion coefficient, strength, and Young's modulus. In order to achieve this, a comprehensive set of 16 experimental trials were carried out, involving the preparation of eight distinct formulations characterized by varying Seger values and ratios which were subsequently subjected to sintering at two distinct firing temperatures. The analysis was conducted through a comprehensive correlation matrix, revealing significant relationships between composition, phase content and the final properties. The glassy phase emerges as a key contributor, positively influencing bulk density, reducing water absorption and linear shrinkage, and enhancing Young's modulus. The coefficient of thermal expansion correlates positively with residual quartz and inversely with mullite content, highlighting their impact on this property. Strength is positively correlated with mullite content, while quartz, albite, and anorthite phases exhibit negative correlations due to their intricate influence on the overall microstructure. These findings provide essential insights into the complex interplay between composition, microstructure and properties, contributing to the advancement of materials engineering for tailored porcelain tiles.

Using phosphorus doped hydrogenated silicon oxycarbide film as a window layer on the light entrance side of silicon heterojunction solar cells: The role of phase separation on electron transport

The phosphorus doped hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon oxycarbide (n-nc-SiCO:H) layer can be used as a window layer on the light incident side of silicon heterojunction solar cells (HJT). The chemical composition, structural organization and properties of the n-nc-SiCO:H layer deposited from plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) method can be easily manipulated via radio frequency power density tuned. Phase separation is observed in the n-nc-SiCO:H layer in which nanoscale silicon crystallites were embedded in amorphous silicon oxycarbide matrix. The optical properties of the n-nc-SiCO:H layer are depended on oxygen and carbon atoms incorporation ratio. The conductivity of the n-nc-SiCO:H layer is dominated by activated phosphorus concentration and the phase separation. The activated phosphorus atoms which play an important role on electron transportation are distributed in both crystalline silicon phase and amorphous silicon phase. Both activated phosphorus concentration and band gap value for oxygen rich amorphous silicon oxycarbide layer are determined by incorporation ratio of O atoms. The interplay effects of optical and electrical properties of the n-nc-SiCO:H layers on HJT cells electric performance variation are revealed out in this report. An average efficiency (across ∼120 cells) of 26.3 % was achieved in cells with optimized power density for the n-nc-SiCO:H layer. The results demonstrate that phase separation in the n-nc-SiCO:H layer plays a critical role on electron transportation.

Organic Mechanochromic Luminescent Materials with Self-Recovering Characters.

Recently, applied research on stimuli-responsive materials with luminescence-switching characteristics has been conducted in various fields. A representative phenomenon of stimuli-responsive luminescent materials is mechanochromic luminescence (MCL), which exhibits luminescent color change induced by mechanical stimuli such as grinding. These materials are among the most prominent candidates for security and sensing applications. Interestingly, some mechanochromic luminescent materials have shown self-recovery character, in which their original luminescent color can be recovered by just standing under ambient conditions after grinding. Although there have been more and more reports of such materials in recent years, the fundamental principles of molecular design still remain elusive. In this concept, we summarize distinctive advances in mechanochromic luminescent materials with self-recovery according to the core structures of luminescent molecules. Controlling amorphous state by introducing substituents such as alkyl or polar groups is effective method to provide self-recovering properties.

Development of paroxetine loaded nanotransferosomal gel for intranasal delivery with enhanced antidepressant activity in rats

The aim of this study was to develop paroxetine (PXT) loaded nanotransferosomal gel (PXT-NTFG) for intranasal brain delivery. The process involved fabricating PXT-NTFs (paroxetine-loaded nanotransferosomes) through a thin film hydration method and optimizing them based on parameters such as particle size (PS), zeta potential (ZP), polydispersity index (PDI), and entrapment efficiency (EE). The optimized PXT-NTFs exhibited uniform morphology with a PS of 158.30 ± 2.73 nm, low PDI (0.142 ± 0.072), high ZP (21.00 ± 0.75 mV), and excellent EE (88.09 ± 3.40 %). Characterization through various techniques confirmed the incorporation of PXT into the nanotransferosomes and its conversion to amorphous state. Moreover, PXT-NTFG was formulated with suitable viscosity and mucoadhesive properties. In vitro release studies demonstrated sustained drug release from PXT-NTFG at different pH levels as compared to PXT-NTFs and NTF dispersion. Similarly, ex vivo experiments showed 4 folds enhanced drug permeation from PXT-NTFG when compared with PXT conventional gel. Stability studies indicated that the optimized PXT-NTFs remained stable for four months at 4°C and 25°C. Additionally, improved behavioral outcomes, increased neuronal survival rates, and upregulated brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression was observed in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced depressed Sprague-Dawley rats after treatment with PXT-NTFG as compared to PXT-dispersion treated and untreated LPS-control groups. Notably, the formulation led to a significant reduction in brain and plasma TNF-α levels. In conclusion, intranasal PXT-NTFG is a promising formulation with sustained drug release, improved brain targeting and enhanced antidepressant activity.

Automated image acquisition and analysis of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride from pristine to highly defective and amorphous structures

Defect-engineered and even amorphous two-dimensional (2D) materials have recently gained interest due to properties that differ from their pristine counterparts. Since these properties are highly sensitive to the exact atomic structure, it is crucial to be able to characterize them at atomic resolution over large areas. This is only possible when the imaging process is automated to reduce the time spent on manual imaging, which at the same time reduces the observer bias in selecting the imaged areas. Since the necessary datasets include at least hundreds if not thousands of images, the analysis process similarly needs to be automated. Here, we introduce disorder into graphene and monolayer hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) using low-energy argon ion irradiation, and characterize the resulting disordered structures using automated scanning transmission electron microscopy annular dark field imaging combined with convolutional neural network-based analysis techniques. We show that disorder manifests in these materials in a markedly different way, where graphene accommodates vacancy-type defects by transforming hexagonal carbon rings into other polygonal shapes, whereas in hBN the disorder is observed simply as vacant lattice sites with very little rearrangement of the remaining atoms. Correspondingly, in the case of graphene, the highest introduced disorder leads to an amorphous membrane, whereas in hBN, the highly defective lattice contains a large number of vacancies and small pores with no indication of amorphisation. Overall, our study demonstrates that combining automated imaging and image analysis is a powerful way to characterize the structure of disordered and amorphous 2D materials, while also illustrating some of the remaining shortcomings with this methodology.