Defects and defect-mediated engineering of two-dimensional materials: challenges and open questions

• Arkady V. Krasheninnikov,
• Matthias Batzill,
• Anouar-Akacha Delenda,
• Marija Drndić,
• Chris Ewels,
• Katharina J. Franke,
• Mahdi Ghorbani-Asl,
• Alexander Holleitner,
• Ado Jorio,
• Ute Kaiser,
• Daria Kieczka,
• Hannu-Pekka Komsa,
• Jani Kotakoski,
• Manuel Längle,
• David Lamprecht,
• Yun Liu,
• Steven G. Louie,
• Janina Maultzsch,
• Thomas Michely,
• Katherine Milton,
• Anna Niggas,
• Hanako Okuno,
• Joshua A. Robinson,
• Marika Schleberger,
• Bruno Schuler,
• Alexander Shluger,
• Kazu Suenaga,
• Kristian S. Thygesen,
• Richard A. Wilhelm,
• E. Harriet Åhlgren and
• Carla Bittencourt

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 454–488, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.31

• formation energies at the surfaces result in much higher surface defect concentration compared to the bulk. This gives rise to the following questions: Is this also true for van der Waals materials? Do thermodynamic considerations in transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) with relatively low (compared to

• beyond a “trial and error” approach. What are the oxidation mechanisms and kinetics of defective surfaces in 2D materials? Substitutional oxygen defects are present in 2D materials synthesized via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) [51]. This can be a result of oxide precursors, which are frequently used

• . Moreover, 2D materials are known to oxidize when exposed to oxygen gas and water [52][53]. The reaction of molecular oxygen with the surfaces of 2D materials has attracted significant interest [54]. The reaction barrier for O2 dissociation on a TMD surface is almost halved comparing a pristine surface with

Nanocarrier-integrated multilayer films produced by 3D printing for improved skin adhesion and curcumin photostability

• Thayse Viana de Oliveira,
• Ana Paula Farias Leão,
• Júlia Leão,
• Cesar Liberato Petzhold and
• Ruy Carlos Ruver Beck

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 440–453, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.30

• , and wound healing treatment strongly depends on their bioadhesive properties, or more specifically, their skin adhesion properties. This property refers to bonding between components of a film and skin tissue surfaces, which can be achieved through both chemical and physical interactions. Lack of

• with negatively charged biological surfaces through electrostatic forces, while, under humid conditions, additional interactions with the stratum corneum may occur via hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces [51]. Measurements of debonding distance (Figure 3C), which represents the distance travelled

First-principles study on elastic properties of Cu, (Cu_1−x,Ni_x)₃Sn and interfacial mechanical properties of (Cu_1−x,Ni_x)₃Sn/Cu in the lead-free solder joint

• Guomin Hua

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 428–439, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.29

• surface, and the maximum Young’s modulus is oriented along the body diagonal, that is, the ⟨111⟩ direction. In contrast, as shown in Figure 3b–e, the orientation-dependent Young’s moduli of (CuxNi1−x)3Sn exhibit a spheroidal surface. After Ni alloying, the spheroidal surfaces of (CuxNi1−x)3Sn are expanded

• lines in (c) and (d) correspond to the boundaries of the ductile-to-brittle transition. 3D surfaces of oriented Young’s moduli for (a) Cu, (b) Cu3Sn, (c) (Cu0.9Ni0.1)3Sn, (d) (Cu0.8Ni0.2)3Sn, and (e) (Cu0.7Ni0.3)3Sn. 2D profiles on the (110) plane of oriented Young’s moduli for (f) Cu, (g) Cu3Sn, (h

Nanoinformatics: spanning scales, systems and solutions

• Iseult Lynch,
• Diego S. T. Martinez,
• Kunal Roy and
• Georgia Melagraki

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 423–427, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.28

• reactivity [3]. Amini et al. combined atomistic molecular dynamics, a coarse-grained model of protein adsorption, and kinetic Monte Carlo simulations to predict the protein corona composition formed on aluminium surfaces with different crystal faces, (i.e., (100), (110), and (111)) from a simplified model of

• , preferred orientations, and relative abundance of the specified molecules on the specified material surfaces giving an insight into the mechanisms of bio–nano interaction [4]. Varsou et al. demonstrated a novel approach to evaluate the performance of different models for the same endpoint (zeta potential of

• classical molecular dynamics and ab initio calculations revealed that TA preferentially binds to the most reactive sites on GO surfaces via oxygen-containing groups or the carbon matrix. The binding energy was dominated by van der Waals interaction forces. A dose-dependent mitigating effect of TA on the

Biomimetic nanoparticles in cancer photodynamic therapy: a review of targeted delivery systems and therapeutic outcomes

• Valentina I. Gorbacheva,
• Alexey S. Grabovoy,
• Polina S. Marukhina,
• Anastasiia O. Syrocheva and
• Ekaterina P. Kolesova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 396–422, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.27

• variety of differentiated cell membranes have been combined to modify biomimetic nanoparticle surfaces, such as cancer cell–erythrocyte [108] and macrophage-–cancer cell [109] hybrids (Figure 4). For combinational therapy of triple-negative breast cancer, BNPs based on tumor cell membranes and PLGA loaded

Polycatecholamine nanocoatings on stainless steel: the effect on attachment of human fibroblasts and platelets

• Paulina Trzaskowska,
• Ewa Rybak,
• Maciej Trzaskowski,
• Kamil Kopeć,
• Jakub Krzemiński,
• Rafał Podgórski,
• Hatice Genc,
• Mehtap Civelek and
• Iwona Cicha

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 365–380, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.25

• attachment was primarily influenced by coating roughness, with a specific threshold beyond which adhesion did not increase or was negatively impacted. These findings highlight the potential of engineered PTYR nanocoatings for developing advanced hemocompatible surfaces for biomedical implants. Keywords

• homeostasis and suppress thrombogenic and proliferative responses [6]. Under long-term hemodynamic loading, stainless steel implants may also suffer from localized corrosion and metal-ion release, leading to chronic inflammation at the tissue–implant interface [8]. While rapid colonization of implant surfaces

• became. For SS-PDA, the shortest time of coating resulted in a CA of 52.97°. The longest coating duration decreased the CA to 11.89°. Similarly, PTYR coating led to hydrophilic surfaces, but the CA decreased only to 23.00° after the coating process of 24 h. The materials obtained with extreme coating

Ferroelectric nanodot reservoir for neuromorphic computing

• Anna Razumnaya,
• Yuri Tikhonov,
• Dmitrii Naidenko,
• Léo Boron,
• Valerii Vinokur and
• Igor Lukyanchuk

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 352–364, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.24

• “down” state. Termination of polarization at the top and bottom surfaces results in bound charges of magnitude mQb = mSPs, where S is the cross-sectional area of the nanodot. These surface-bound charges produce an internal depolarization field, Ed = −mPs/ε0εf, where ε0 is the vacuum dielectric

• orientation, either “up” or “down”, denoted as mi = ±1. The corresponding bound charges on the surfaces of the nanodots are equal to Qbi = miPsSi, where Si is the cross-sectional area of the i-th nanodot. The total free charge, Q = ±ΣiPsSimi ± Qe, redistributes over the electrodes to maintain equipotentiality

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

• study on SWCNT antennas built on flexible substrates measured slight changes in the radiation efficiency gain from 80.0% for flat to 83.7% for bent configurations, demonstrating that CNTs are suitable for applications requiring non-standard shapes and surfaces [13]. MWCNTs possess larger physical

Beam shaping techniques for pulsed laser ablation in liquids: Unlocking tunable control of nanoparticle synthesis in liquids

• Sergio Molina-Prados,
• Nadezhda M. Bulgakova,
• Alexander V. Bulgakov,
• Jesus Lancis,
• Gladys Mínguez Vega and
• Carlos Doñate-Buendia

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 309–342, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.22

• surfaces. However, they are specifically designed for a single wavelength, and their use with ultrashort pulses can lead to substantial temporal pulse broadening [101]. Laser beam shaping technologies can be also categorised into static and dynamic systems. Static systems include components such as

• vortex beams is shown in Figure 10a [151]. The material ablated with such a beam has been shown to form twisted nanostructures on metal surfaces with controlled chirality [151][152]. They are formed due to the involvement of ablated/molten material in a spiral motion of the vector vortex beam as

Calculation of the dynamic stiffness of a cantilever under torsional oscillation

• Keita Nishida,
• Yuuki Yasui and
• Yoshiaki Sugimoto

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 303–308, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.21

• : atomic force microscopy; dynamic stiffness; energy dissipation; friction; torsional oscillation mode; Introduction Friction serves as a fundamental mechanism of energy dissipation [1]. While friction typically arises from direct mechanical contact between surfaces, energy dissipation can also occur even

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

• ][11][12], which first demonstrated tip-induced electrochemical modification of semiconductor surfaces and even early device structures [13]. These STM works established the fundamental mechanism later adopted and expanded by AFM-based approaches. LAO utilizes an AFM to generate localized oxidation

• grown oxide. Specifically, on Si, LAO-derived oxide exhibits a density of 2.05 g·cm−3, lower than the 2.27 g·cm−3 density of thermally oxidized silicon [43]. In the case of Si surfaces the chemical reaction leading to SiO2 formation is: In the case of SiC, carbon atoms are eliminated in the form of

• ] or modified LAO setups. Topography also plays a significant role: While low-roughness surfaces facilitate the process, RMS roughness above roughly 1–2 nm can distort the meniscus and induce lateral broadening of the oxide features. Notably, Ryu et al. demonstrated that oxygen plasma pretreatment of

Durable antimicrobial activity of fabrics functionalized with zeolite ion-exchanged nanomaterials against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli

• Perla Sánchez-López,
• Kendra Ramirez Acosta,
• Sergio Fuentes Moyado,
• Ruben Dario Cadena-Nava and
• Elena Smolentseva

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 262–274, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.18

• incorporation of nanomaterials onto the fabric surfaces. Antimicrobial tests reveal significant inhibition of bacterial growth, with silver-based materials demonstrating superior efficacy. Importantly, the antimicrobial effect persists after five washing cycles, demonstrating the durability of the

• , surfaces coated with silver have exhibited lower minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against E. coli and S. aureus strains compared to surfaces doped with copper and zinc [44]. Considering this, it is worth noting that the weight percentage of Ag/CBV-600 in the fabrics is four times higher compared to

Gold nanoparticle-decorated reduced graphene oxide as a highly effective catalyst for the selective α,β-dehydrogenation of N-alkyl-4-piperidones

• Brenda Flore Kenyim,
• Mihir Tzalis,
• Marilyn Kaul,
• Robert Oestreich,
• Aysenur Limon,
• Chancellin Pecheu Nkepdep and
• Christoph Janiak

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 218–238, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.15

• domains that enhance electrostatic attraction of AuNPs [31]. These combined effects explain the more homogeneous AuNP dispersion on rGO compared to AC or CB, which contain fewer functional groups and more inert graphitic surfaces [32]. AC often contains micropores that can trap some nanoparticles

• inner catalytic surfaces. Because the ODH reaction depends on molecular oxygen as the oxidant, such limitations lead to both external and internal diffusion constraints. Consequently, the apparent reaction rate decreases – not due to a loss of intrinsic catalytic activity, but because mass transfer

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

• surfaces of any living organism constantly engage with the environment and face a wide range of challenges. To meet these challenges, the surfaces of any organism must often simultaneously fulfil multiple functions and adapt to various environmental pressures, which involve complex interactions between

• generalizing nanoscale properties and processes in biology to engineer functional surfaces and interfaces across different scales. In May 2023, the Beilstein Nanotechnology Symposium titled “Functional Micro- and Nanostructured Surfaces: from Biology to Biomimetics” brought together a diverse group of

• researchers from multiple disciplines in Limburg, Germany. On this occasion, various scientists contributed to a fruitful exchange of ideas across diverse fields focusing on biological and artificial surfaces. The symposium highlighted significant progress in the field of biomimetics and served as an

Time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging of contaminant species in chemical vapour deposited graphene on copper

• Barry Brennan,
• Vlad-Petru Veigang-Radulescu,
• Philipp Braeuninger-Weimer,
• Stephan Hofmann and
• Andrew J. Pollard

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 200–213, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.13

• fragmentation of the graphene carbon lattice [28], we can easily observe the areas of graphene coverage on the copper foil surfaces. Depending on the pre-treatment, the graphene nucleation density varies significantly, resulting in variations in coverage. For the BO and EP samples in Figure 1a,c, nucleation is

Safe and sustainable by design with ML/AI: A transformative approach to advancing nanotechnology

• Georgia Melagraki

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 176–185, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.11

• and risks associated with specific ENMs [56]. One illustrative application involves modelling nanoparticle–protein interactions, a critical factor in drug delivery systems, where digital twins can accurately predict protein adsorption patterns on nanoparticle surfaces through read-across and

From shield to spear: Charge-reversible nanocarriers in overcoming cancer therapy barriers

• Madhuri Yeduvaka,
• Pooja Mittal,
• Ameer Boyalakuntla,
• Usman Bee Shaik,
• Himanshu Sharma,
• Thakur Gurjeet Singh,
• Siva Nageswara Rao Gajula and
• Lakshmi Vineela Nalla

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 159–175, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.10

• that zwitterionic and neutral nanoparticles possess highly hydrated, charge-balanced surfaces that minimize serum protein adsorption, complement activation, and cytokine release (IL-6, TNF-α). In murine models, these particles exhibited reduced systemic inflammation and enhanced circulation stability

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

• , pollutants, and oily substances. These functional surfaces, often based on coatings consisting of polymeric, ceramic, and composite materials, can provide durable, non-invasive protection tailored to specific substrate weaknesses and exposure environments (indoor and outdoor). Objective of this review

• , acknowledging the conservative merits of amurca, obtained from wastes of olive oil production, that keeps bronze surfaces shinier and free from rust. Moreover, Pliny himself endorsed bitumen for being highly useful for bronze protection against fire, and mechanical and corrosion threats. Other examples of the

• transparency and reversibility, while smoother substrates favor thinner, more controllable films. Furthermore, artworks having stone or inorganic surfaces, may experience erosion due to the effect of acid rain if in outdoor environment (limestone might shift to gypsum due to sulfur dioxide, becoming porous and

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

• /bjnano.17.4 Abstract In taxa such as insects, spiders, bats, frogs, and lizards, adhesive structures at the distal ends of their limbs have independently evolved, enabling the animals to adhere to inclined or even inverted surfaces. The adhesive apparatus of geckos functions via a complex interaction

• surfaces, either by employing dry adhesion via microstructures, or wet adhesion, which is additionally supported by secretions [1][2][3][4][5]. In lizards, subdigital adhesive microstructures facilitating dry adhesion evolved independently in anoles, some skinks, and multiple times in geckos [3][6][7][8

• arboreal, lifestyle [29] as these microstructures effect increased adhesive interactions with smooth, inclined surfaces. The surfaces of some arboreal habitats can be very smooth [30][31][32], imposing selective demands for adhesive capabilities that permit safe and efficient locomotion. Saxicoline

Quantitative estimation of nanoparticle/substrate adhesion by atomic force microscopy

• Aydan Çiçek,
• Markus Kratzer,
• Christian Teichert and
• Christian Mitterer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 1–14, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.1

• NPs and significantly enhancing their interfacial adhesion. Their mechanical stability was tested utilizing scanning probe microscopy nanomanipulation [12]. Another approach tested for SiO2 NPs was functionalizing their surfaces for improved adhesion on epoxy film-covered substrate surfaces [13]. In

• ] stands out as the most commonly utilized and, with subsequently suggested modifications [38], widely accepted state-of-the-art procedure. In this study, a TGZ calibration grating from NT-MDT with defined Si slopes of 55° was used for the wedge calibration. The method is based on scanning sloped surfaces

• partial penetration, removal, or reduction cannot be excluded. We did not detect changes in the roughness between pristine and plasma-treated surfaces (RMS < 0.2 nm at 5 × 5 µm area) that would contribute to a change in friction. Interfacial redox reactions between the copper NP and the wafer surface

Internal 3D temperature mapping in biological systems using ratiometric light-sheet imaging and lipid-coated upconversion nanothermometers

• Dannareli Barron-Ortiz,
• Enric Pérez-Parets,
• Rubén D. Cadena-Nava,
• Emilio J. Gualda,
• Jacob Licea-Rodríguez,
• Juan Hernández-Cordero,
• Pablo Loza-Álvarez and
• Israel Rocha-Mendoza

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2306–2316, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.159

• electrostatic interactions between the cationic PEI coating and negatively charged cell surfaces. The positive charge of PEI can be enhanced at lower pH levels, such as those found in parts of the C. elegans digestive tract [60], potentially promoting further endocytosis. In contrast, the UCNPs@lipids

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

• light scattering, and infrared spectroscopy. We probed particles adsorbed on hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces with atomic force microscopy (AFM) and vibrational sum frequency generation (VSFG) spectroscopy, both operated under variable air humidity. For AFM, we additionally tested hydrophilic and

• [17], is essential to infection. Complete dryness is certainly detrimental (lipid bilayers ultimately collapse). Still, how such virus surfaces are preserved under low-humidity conditions, as is typical for airborne transmission in Northern Hemisphere winters, is unknown [18]. We believe that a

• high and the shape cannot be identical (hemagglutinin is roughly a triangular 7 nm prism of 15 nm length), the size is in the typical NP range, and a dense coating with oligomannoside should mimic surface physics. Accordingly, we note that the adsorption of AuNPs on surfaces would mimic the survival of

Microplastic pollution in Himalayan lakes: assessment, risks, and sustainable remediation strategies

• Sameeksha Rawat,
• S. M. Tauseef and
• Madhuben Sharma

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2144–2167, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.148

• smaller molecules [48]. Biofilms adhering to the plastic surfaces are required for biological degradation since they secrete enzymes that degrade polymers outside cells [49]. As noted by Rai et al., biofilms can speed up the breakdown of MPs, even though such a process is prone to interference from

• studies showing their capacity to break down PET [46]. Biofilms can accelerate the breakdown process under cold conditions by generating enzymatically active microenvironments [71]. According to Dhiman et al., these microbial colonies stick to the surfaces of MPs and release enzymes that break down

• protective covering made of extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs). These EPSs are made by the microbes themselves and stick to surfaces, such as MPs. The enzymes secreted by these microbial colonies have the ability to degrade synthetic polymers into smaller, biodegradable components. Tiwari et al. have

Electron transport through nanoscale multilayer graphene and hexagonal boron nitride junctions

• Aleksandar Staykov and
• Takaya Fujisaki

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2132–2143, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.147

• in far-ultraviolet light-emitting devices. These applications leverage h-BN’s properties like high temperature stability, electrical insulation, and chemical resistance [18][20][21]. An interesting application of multilayer h-BN is its deposition on electrode surfaces as an electron blocking layer