Protein-based custom-designed molecular nanotraps for biomedical applications

• Devid Maniglio,
• Alice Marinangeli and
• Alessandra Maria Bossi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 683–687, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.47

• nanocages and nanoparticles [10][11]. However, the vast majority of these architectures are constructed through the ordered assembly of folded protein units. In such systems, nanoparticles and higher-order structures arise from the self-assembly of proteins; they combine modularity with a high degree of

Cellulose as a photocatalyst support material: extraction, structural features, and environmental applications

• Yee Teng Lim,
• Nur Farhana Jaafar,
• Azizul Hakim Lahuri and
• Endang Tri Wahyuni

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 635–652, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.44

Recent progress in enhancing built-in electric fields of perovskite solar cells via junction engineering

• Tong Xiao and
• Ke Xu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 602–621, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.42

• introducing a “reassembly process” (RP) strategy. Using a pyridine/isopropanol mixed solvent, insulating long-chain ligands were replaced with formamidinium iodide short-chain ions, enabling close-packed quantum dot assembly and vertical growth orientation. Simultaneously, layered spin-coating of nanocrystals

Impacts of annealing on structural and photophysical properties of zinc phthalocyanine adsorbed on graphene

• Gautier Creutzer,
• Quentin Fernez,
• Nataliya Kalashnyk,
• Zohreh Safarzadeh,
• Lydia Sosa Vargas,
• Céline Fiorini-Debuisschert,
• Nicolas Fabre and
• Fabrice Charra

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 576–585, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.39

• formation towards 3D self-assembly. Keywords: graphene; optical spectroscopy; organic semiconductors; phthalocyanine; scanning tunneling microscopy; self-assembly; Introduction Combining the properties of graphene and molecular semiconductors in a given material organized at the molecular scale appears as

• characteristic of a ZnPc response [43]. However, the highest energy peak is strongly shifted from its value of 1506 cm−1 in the bulk to 1543 cm−1 in this assembly. The same shift has been reported for the ZnPc embedded inside carbon nanotubes or adsorbed on their surface [44]. This is considered as a signature

• of molecules in solution being already under shuttlecock form. Scanning tunneling microscopy Although the TSB35-family molecules form the same atomically precise self-assembly patterns on graphene and HOPG, the former is less convenient for STM observations because of defects inherently present in

Interconnection morphology effects on the radio frequency response of carbon nanotube sponges

• Manuela Scarselli,
• Javad Rezvani,
• Zeno Zuccari,
• Mattia Scagliotti and
• Simone Tocci

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 343–351, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.23

• increased from 0.5 to 5.0 μm, the gain changed from 14% up to 70% [19]. MWCNTs were also mixed with conductive polymers [20][21] or with metals [22], showing sizeable improvements in the response. More recently, a novel material based on a 3D self-standing CNT assembly, often denoted as carbon nanotube

• sponge (CNS) [23], was applied as active medium for the fabrication of antennas [24]. The material consists of highly interconnected MWCNTs that are assembled during the synthesis process and confer the material its 3D shape. In addition, the assembly has interesting macroscopical properties like high

• ethanol treatment yielded excellent results, enhancing the efficiency of the CNS in absorbing RF signals and serving as a signal receptor. We explained the observed improvement by the structural modifications in the CNT assembly induced by ethanol. Compared with other doping strategies or external field

Advancing nanolithography: a comprehensive review of materials for local anodic oxidation with AFM

• Matteo Lorenzoni

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 275–291, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.19

• templating and subsequent selective self-assembly of organic or inorganic species [85]. Follow-up work further demonstrated that such patterned monolayers can even support single-layer ionic conduction along predefined nanoscale paths [86]. These studies extend LAO-type surface modification to molecular

• silicon surface can be functionalized and subsequently patterned through local oxidation [95], as illustrated by a method for generating guiding patterns for the directed self-assembly of block copolymers (BCPs) [96]. By integrating chemical and topographic modifications, these guiding patterns

Micro- and nanoscale effects in biological and bioinspired materials and surfaces

• Thies H. Büscher,
• Rhainer Guillermo Ferreira,
• Manuela Rebora and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 214–217, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.14

• composition of the secreting cells and its cement product, providing a strong basis for further research on the assembly of biological and bioinspired adhesives. Sawant et al. [15] focused on the cement of a barnacle and experimentally investigated a specific key cement protein and its self-assembly under

Structure-dependent thermochromism of PAZO thin films: theory and experiment

• Georgi Mateev,
• Dean Dimov,
• Nataliya Berberova-Buhova,
• Nikoleta Kircheva,
• Todor Dudev,
• Ludmila Nikolova,
• Elena Stoykova,
• Keehoon Hong,
• Dimana Nazarova,
• Silvia Angelova and
• Lian Nedelchev

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 186–199, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.12

• polymers in thin films are known to markedly differ from those observed in the bulk, with significant differences in glass transition behavior, diffusion, and viscoelastic properties [4]. The assembly of polymer molecules from solution to solid state play a critical role in determining thin film morphology

• the molecular assembly governs birefringence in PAZO remains incomplete, leaving open questions about the fundamental mechanisms driving the observed photoresponsive behavior. This knowledge gap serves as the primary motivation for the present study. Here, we investigate the optical properties of PAZO

• exist in two isomeric forms: a stable trans (E) form and a metastable cis (Z) form (Figure 6B). The self-assembly of PAZO polymers into various nanostructures is mainly driven by the noncovalent interactions, such as π–π stacking between azobenzene groups. Azobenzene groups are photosensitive and can

Functional surface engineering for cultural heritage protection: the role of superhydrophobic and superoleophobic coatings – a comprehensive review

• Giuseppe Cesare Lama,
• Marino Lavorgna,
• Letizia Verdolotti,
• Federica Recupido,
• Giovanna Giuliana Buonocore and
• Bharat Bhushan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 63–96, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.6

• years, the importance of cultural heritage applications has been recognized [45], and material science advancements are being applied in the field of prevention, instead of restoration, of the cultural heritage. At the 15th General Assembly of International Council of Museums (ICOM), held in Buenos

Subdigital integumentary microstructure in Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkota): do those lineages with incipiently expressed toepads exclusively exhibit adhesive setae?

• Philipp Ginal,
• Yannick Ecker,
• Timothy Higham,
• L. Lee Grismer,
• Benjamin Wipfler,
• Dennis Rödder,
• Anthony Russell and
• Jendrian Riedel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 38–56, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.4

• stronger adhesive interactions). In theory, this would lead to the elaboration of incipient and ultimately fully expressed toepads. Given the gradual nature of the evolutionary assembly of complex structures such as adhesive toepads, terms like incipient toepads necessarily remain incremental. Therefore

Reduced graphene oxide paper electrode for lithium-ion cells – towards optimized thermal reduction

• Agata Pawłowska,
• Magdalena Baran,
• Stefan Marynowicz,
• Aleksandra Izabela Banasiak,
• Adrian Racki,
• Adrian Chlanda,
• Tymoteusz Ciuk,
• Marta Wolczko and
• Andrzej Budziak

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 24–37, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.3

• assembly, the cycling (between 0.01 and 3.20 V) involved steps of the following current rates: 5 × 10 mA/g, 5 × 30 mA/g, 5 × 50 mA/g, 5 × 100 mA/g, and 5 × 10 mA/g. Coulombic efficiency, defined as the ratio of discharge capacity to charge capacity, within each cycle was calculated [41]. Results and

Visualizing nanostructures in supramolecular hydrogels: a correlative study using confocal and cryogenic scanning electron microscopy

• Shaun M. Smith,
• Ferdinando Malagreca,
• Jacqueline Hicks,
• Giuseppe Mantovani,
• David B. Amabilino,
• Christopher Parmenter and
• Lluïsa Pérez-García

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2274–2284, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.156

• . The comparison is important because it could reveal an effect of the probe on the morphology of the network of fibres. The gel network itself is formed by the self-assembly of 1,3-bis[(3-octadecyl-1-imidazolium)methyl]benzene dibromide (1·2Br) in a 1:1 water–ethanol solvent system [20][21] and is made

• of the hydrogel was then imaged by SEM at an accelerating voltage of 3.3 kV using the SESI and InLens detectors. A representation of the fibre structure of the hydrogel that forms upon self-assembly of 1·2Br in the presence of 1:1 water–ethanol. Alkyl chains form a lamellar structure and between

Chiral plasmonic nanostructures fabricated with circularly polarized light

• Tian Qiao and
• Ming Lee Tang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2245–2264, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.154

• . Additionally, the optical chirality at the near field is greater than that of the incident CPL, increasing the polarization selectivity of the interactions between molecules and CPL [17][18]. After more than two decades of development, the synthesis of cPNSs has evolved from nanolithography and self-assembly

• ”. In the same paper, the authors attributed the formation of chiral AuNPs to the assembly of small NPs under the mechanical force of CPL. The spatial dissymmetry of hot carrier-induced chemical reactions was not discussed. While Figure 4a represents chiral metallic cPNSs synthesized in solution, Figure

Optical bio/chemical sensors for vitamin B₁₂ analysis in food and pharmaceuticals: state of the art, challenges, and future outlooks

• Seyed Mohammad Taghi Gharibzahedi and
• Zeynep Altintas

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2207–2244, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.153

Ultrathin water layers on mannosylated gold nanoparticles

• Maiara A. Iriarte Alonso,
• Jorge H. Melillo,
• Silvina Cerveny,
• Yujin Tong and
• Alexander M. Bittner

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2183–2198, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.151

• nanoscale “traps” between the NPs. Both effects result in water adsorption that persists even in dry environments. Focusing now on particle size and assembly, we found no difference between the hydrodynamic size of 16.8 nm (obtained in suspension by DLS) (Figure 2) and the AFM height of 16.7 nm (which we

• assembly by AFM and SEM complement the results discussed above. The use of hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces and also AFM tips allows one to distinguish ubiquitous water layers, present on all surfaces, from specific water adsorption on the AuNPs. For the APDMES surface at neutral pH, we expect

Beyond the shell: exploring polymer–lipid interfaces in core–shell nanofibers to carry hyaluronic acid and β-caryophyllene

• Aline Tavares da Silva Barreto,
• Francisco Alexandrino-Júnior,
• Bráulio Soares Arcanjo,
• Paulo Henrique de Souza Picciani and
• Kattya Gyselle de Holanda e Silva

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2015–2033, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.139

• solution and the other with the HA solution or a mix of HA+NE to the core. Each syringe was connected to an individual syringe pump for independent control of flow rate. The coaxial needle assembly comprised two stainless steel needles concentrically aligned, with an 18G outer needle for the shell solution

The cement of the tube-dwelling polychaete Sabellaria alveolata: a complex composite adhesive material

• Emilie Duthoo,
• Aurélie Lambert,
• Pierre Becker,
• Carla Pugliese,
• Jean-Marc Baele,
• Arnaud Delfairière,
• Matthew J. Harrington and
• Patrick Flammang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1998–2014, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.138

• cement matrix. A better understanding of this complex composite material would provide valuable insights into the physical and chemical processes that underline the assembly of biological materials, which could inspire the design and fabrication of innovative hierarchical materials with diverse

Laser ablation in liquids for shape-tailored synthesis of nanomaterials: status and challenges

• Natalie Tarasenka

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1963–1997, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.137

• manipulating the formed seed NPs to induce their anisotropic growth and assembly. 1.2 Cavitation bubble formation, expansion, and collapse Since plasma plume is confined by a liquid, the subsequent processes involve plasma rapid expansion and cooling by energy transfer to the surrounding liquid, resulting in

• the anisotropic growth and self-assembly of nanostructures with the formation of nanorods and nanosheets. It is currently agreed that media surrounding the particles also influence the surface energy dependence on nanoparticle size. If ions or surfactants are present in the solution, their absorption

• colloid, preventing aggregation [7]. Charge manipulation can be achieved by applying electric fields or varying laser beam polarization. It can also be used at later stages of the NP formation, ensuring self-assembly and growth into oriented structures. In general, the growth of NPs produced by laser

Self-assembly and adhesive properties of Pollicipes pollicipes barnacle cement protein cp19k: influence of pH and ionic strength

• Shrutika Sawant,
• Anne Marie Power and
• J. Gerard Wall

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1863–1872, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.129

• Sciences, University of Galway H91 TK33, Ireland 10.3762/bjnano.16.129 Abstract Marine organisms such as barnacles rely on a complex underwater adhesive system, driven by self-assembly and intermolecular associations between cement proteins, for permanent attachment to a variety of surface types. In this

• study, we investigated the influence of environmental parameters on the self-assembly of recombinant cp19k, a key adhesive protein in Pollicipes pollicipes. Using TEM imaging, a low pH (4.0) and high salt concentration (600 mM NaCl) environment, mimicking P. pollicipes gland conditions, was identified

• morphology, the differences from both other published results with cp19k homologues [29] and the present study underscore the importance of protein construct design as well as environmental parameters in determining the self-assembly behaviour of cp19k. We also investigated the adhesive properties of the

Prospects of nanotechnology and natural products for cancer and immunotherapy

• Jan Filipe Andrade Santos,
• Marcela Bernardes Brasileiro,
• Pamela Danielle Cavalcante Barreto,
• Ligiane Aranha Rocha and
• José Adão Carvalho Nascimento Júnior

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1644–1667, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.116

• patents analyzed primarily focused on carrier-free self-assembly nanoparticle technology, which was present in eight inventions. Other types of nanotechnology, including nanovaccine, polymeric nanocapsules, and nanodrug complexes, were each identified in a single publication. The 14 inventions based on

• polymeric nanoparticles, and the remaining inventions used carrier-free self-assembly nanoparticles. The greater number of inventions based on nanoparticles can be attributed to the longer period over which this carrier system has been studied and utilized. Indeed, the scientific literature contains reports

• , nanoparticles can be subdivided into various structures, such as carrier-free self-assembly nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles, polysaccharide nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, and quantum dot nanoparticles. Carrier-free self-assembly nanoparticles Carrier-free self-assembly nanoparticles are formed

Laser processing in liquids: insights into nanocolloid generation and thin film integration for energy, photonic, and sensing applications

• Akshana Parameswaran Sreekala,
• Pooja Raveendran Nair,
• Jithin Kundalam Kadavath,
• Bindu Krishnan,
• David Avellaneda Avellaneda,
• M. R. Anantharaman and
• Sadasivan Shaji

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1428–1498, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.104

Parylene-coated platinum nanowire electrodes for biomolecular sensing applications

• Chao Liu,
• Peker Milas,
• Michael G. Spencer and
• Birol Ozturk

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1392–1400, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.101

• recent years due to their unique characteristics and size. Manufacturing steps, cost, and other shortcomings limit the widespread use and commercialization of nanoscale electrodes. In this work, a nano-size electrode fabricated by directed electrochemical nanowire assembly and parylene-C insulation is

• due to their compact size, biocompatibility, and rapid fabrication. Keywords: biosensor; directed electrochemical nanowire assembly (DENA); dopamine; glucose; nanoelectrode; platinum; Introduction Electrodes, a tool used in all walks of life today, were first demonstrated by Max Cremer in 1906 [1

• inappropriate for some applications [13][14][15]. Among various manufacturing techniques, directed electrochemical nanowire assembly (DENA) stands out as a one-step method that enables rapid and tunable fabrication of crystalline metal nanowires [16][17]. In the DENA method, AC power and a metal salt (e.g., Au

Synthesis and antibacterial properties of nanosilver-modified cellulose triacetate membranes for seawater desalination

• Lei Wang,
• Shizhe Li,
• Kexin Xu,
• Wenjun Li,
• Ying Li and
• Gang Liu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1380–1391, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.100

• equilibrium towards the formation of PDA, which is rich in phenol and amino groups [37]. Additionally, free radical polymerization and physical self-assembly pathways contribute the formation of cross-linked PDA with multiple active sites (e.g. phenol and secondary amino groups) [36][38][39]. The phenol and

Better together: biomimetic nanomedicines for high performance tumor therapy

• Imran Shair Mohammad,
• Gizem Kursunluoglu,
• Anup Kumar Patel,
• Hafiz Muhammad Ishaq,
• Cansu Umran Tunc,
• Dilek Kanarya,
• Mubashar Rehman,
• Omer Aydin and
• Yin Lifang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1246–1276, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.92

• in recombinant Escherichia coli. Then the virus capsomere was transferred to a dialysis bag and allowed to self-assemble into nanoparticles in assembly buffer. The virus-like particles efficiently protected the payload and successfully delivered multiple proteins directly into cytosol of the cells

Hydrogels and nanogels: effectiveness in dermal applications

• Jéssica da Cruz Ludwig,
• Diana Fortkamp Grigoletto,
• Daniele Fernanda Renzi,
• Wolf-Rainer Abraham,
• Daniel de Paula and
• Najeh Maissar Khalil

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1216–1233, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.90

• the strategies to avoid the formation of long-range networks, which are related to the assembly of the hydrogels. Controlling the reaction conditions is one of the strategies to obtain nanogels by cross-linking polymerization. By reducing the amount of monomers and cross-linking agents or by stopping