Recent advances in green carbon dots (2015–2022): synthesis, metal ion sensing, and biological applications

• Aisha Kanwal,
• Naheed Bibi,
• Sajjad Hyder,
• Arif Muhammad,
• Hao Ren,
• Jiangtao Liu and
• Zhongli Lei

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1068–1107, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.93

• organic dyes. Moreover, CDs have unparalleled extraordinary properties, including cell compatibility, chemical inertness, emission at tunable wavelengths, low cost, high quantum yield (QY), water dispersibility, small size, tunability, high biocompatibility, strong photostability (resistance to

• availability. It is thus environmentally friendly and advantageous [51][52]. Plant parts such as roots, stem, leaves, fruits, flowers, and seeds have been used for the production of CDs. Several low-value plant materials can also be converted into functional materials with excellent biocompatibility by

• to have excellent biocompatibility with cells [70]. Ramanarayanan and Swaminathan utilized guava leaves to prepare CDs, which were then utilized for the synthesis of a CD-TiO2 nanocomposite. The CD-TiO2 nanocomposite possesses good photocatalytic ability to degrade methylene blue dye [71]. White

Biomimetic chitosan with biocomposite nanomaterials for bone tissue repair and regeneration

• Se-Kwon Kim,
• Sesha Subramanian Murugan,
• Pandurang Appana Dalavi,
• Sebanti Gupta,
• Sukumaran Anil,
• Gi Hun Seong and
• Jayachandran Venkatesan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1051–1067, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.92

• , uniform raw materials quality, and are abundant. Chitosan is a natural polymeric substance and an extensively studied material for bone tissue engineering due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, and antimicrobial properties [7][8][9][10]. Chitosan in combination with silver, gold, copper, titanium

• tissue engineering, drug delivery, diagnostic, and bioimaging applications due to its biocompatibility, tuneable size, and ability to cover different kinds of therapeutic agents. Gold nanoparticles control osteoclastic differentiation [113][114][115]. Osteogenic properties of AuNPs were proven by in

• nanocomposites Titanium and titanium-based alloy materials are often utilized in the biomedical field especially in bone tissue engineering due to several important properties which include excellent biocompatibility, higher resistance against corrosion, significant structural rigidity, and tolerance to body

Bioselectivity of silk protein-based materials and their bio-inspired applications

• Hendrik Bargel,
• Vanessa T. Trossmann,
• Christoph Sommer and
• Thomas Scheibel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 902–921, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.81

• -based materials are interesting candidates due to their natural origin, biological activity, and structural properties. Silk materials, in particular those made of spider silk proteins and their recombinant counterparts, are characterized by extraordinary properties including excellent biocompatibility

• by extraordinary properties including excellent biocompatibility, slow biodegradation, low immunogenicity, and non-toxicity, making them ideally suited for tissue engineering and biomedical applications [105][106][107]. This review focuses on achievements made with silk-based protein materials and

• care, shampoos, and lotions. Traditional utilization of silk fibres as sutures for wounds are known for centuries due to their strength, biocompatibility, and low immunogenicity [104], and silkworm silk surgical threads are commercially available [108]. Moreover, silk-based polymeric materials have

Fabrication and testing of polymer microneedles for transdermal drug delivery

• Vahid Ebrahiminejad,
• Zahra Faraji Rad,
• Philip D. Prewett and
• Graham J. Davies

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 629–640, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.55

• their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and potential for mass production [12]. Polymers such as polylactic acid (PLA), poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), poly(carbonate), cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) and cycloolefin polymers (COP), polystyrene, and SU-8 photoresists, have all been used for

Detection and imaging of Hg(II) in vivo using glutathione-functionalized gold nanoparticles

• Gufeng Li,
• Shaoqing Li,
• Rui Wang,
• Min Yang,
• Lizhu Zhang,
• Yanli Zhang,
• Wenrong Yang and
• Hongbin Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 549–559, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.46

• biocompatibility, large specific surface area, and remarkable photoelectric properties [1][2][3]. Among them, gold nanoparticles (GNPs) have been frequently employed for drug delivery, sensing, imaging, and photodynamic therapy owing to their high extinction coefficient, distinct optical properties, excellent

• biocompatibility, and low toxicity [4][5][6][7][8][9]. Another advantage of GNPs is that different shapes and sizes can be obtained during synthesis through changing reducing agents and reaction conditions [10]. The surface chemistry of GNPs is modified via ligands with functional groups such as thiol (–SH), amino

• thiol group, but also combine with related molecules via its other groups [32]. GSH-modified GNPs can improve the biocompatibility of GNPs [33][34][35]. Therefore, GSH can be used to modify the surface of GNPs for improving their stability, safety, and biocompatibility. However, in order to enhance the

Stimuli-responsive polypeptide nanogels for trypsin inhibition

• Petr Šálek,
• Jana Dvořáková,
• Sviatoslav Hladysh,
• Diana Oleshchuk,
• Ewa Pavlova,
• Jan Kučka and
• Vladimír Proks

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 538–548, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.45

• biocompatibility and biodegradability of PHEG-Tyr nanogel and biocompatibility of Nα-Lys-NG nanogel [23][24][25]. In this study, we attempt to obtain improved shape and morphology of PHEG-Tyr nanogel by combining surfactant SPAN 80 with surfactant TWEEN 85 based on a previous study presenting the stabilization

Zinc oxide nanostructures for fluorescence and Raman signal enhancement: a review

• Ioana Marica,
• Fran Nekvapil,
• Maria Ștefan,
• Cosmin Farcău and
• Alexandra Falamaș

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 472–490, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.40

• properties including a high refractive index, which can confine the excitation light in order to enhance the SERS effect, various types of tuneable morphologies that can be used in combination with noble metals, but also its biocompatibility, photocatalytic self-cleaning capability, and high chemical

• [53]. Additionally, the polydopamine layer assured a large number of functional groups, which served as anchors for controlled distribution and growth of Ag NPs, durability of the substrate, and biocompatibility. Fewer studies paid attention to the reversed structural configuration based on coating

• morphologies that can be used in combination with noble metals, but also its biocompatibility, photocatalytic self-cleaning capability, and high chemical stability. The SERS effect occurs through the electromagnetic enhancement from the excitation of plasmon resonances in metallic nanoparticles and the

Tubular glassy carbon microneedles with fullerene-like tips for biomedical applications

• Sharali Malik and
• George E. Kostakis

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 455–461, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.38

• allotrope of carbon, which combines glassy and ceramic properties with those associated with graphite and has been of scientific and technological interest for over fifty years. Glassy carbon has good electrical and thermal conductivities, excellent chemical stability, and good biocompatibility, which has

Micro- and nanotechnology in biomedical engineering for cartilage tissue regeneration in osteoarthritis

• Zahra Nabizadeh,
• Mahmoud Nasrollahzadeh,
• Hamed Daemi,
• Mohamadreza Baghaban Eslaminejad,
• Ali Akbar Shabani,
• Mehdi Dadashpour,
• Majid Mirmohammadkhani and
• Davood Nasrabadi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 363–389, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.31

• scaffolds to regenerate different tissues and organs. The surface of electrospun nanofibers, which are excellent biomaterials to fabricate TE scaffolds capable of forming ECM mimicking structures can be physicochemically modified to meet the biocompatibility requirements of nanofiber biomaterials. For

• a faster repair rate compared to a PLA–gelatin nanoscale scaffold [116]. Furthermore, to enhance biocompatibility, a 3D porous nanofiber scaffold made of gelatin and PLA was modified using CS [78]. The results demonstrated that the modified scaffold had appropriate mechanical properties and

• biocompatibility. BMSCs seeded on this scaffold showed better chondrogenic differentiation compared to cells seeded on the PLA–gelatin scaffold. In a rabbit cartilage defect model, the CS modified 3D nanofiber scaffold showed anti-inflammatory effect and promoted cartilage regeneration [78]. To accelerate the

Coordination-assembled myricetin nanoarchitectonics for sustainably scavenging free radicals

• Xiaoyan Ma,
• Haoning Gong,
• Kenji Ogino,
• Xuehai Yan and
• Ruirui Xing

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 284–291, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.23

• good hydrophilicity and biocompatibility. However, it is easily metabolized by enzymes. To take advantages of their antioxidation activity and to overcome the abovementioned limitations, GSH, Zn2+, and Myr were selected to co-assemble into Myr-Zn2+-GSH nanoparticles or nanoarchitectonics. This study

• offers a new design to harness stable, sustainable antioxidant nanoparticles with high loading capacity, high bioavailability, and good biocompatibility as antioxidants. Keywords: antioxidant; co-assembly; glutathione; myricetin; nanoarchitectonics; Introduction Oxidative stress, caused by an imbalance

• phosphopeptides, exhibited huge therapeutic potential in antioxidant treatments [11][12][13]. Nevertheless, a plenty of disadvantages restrict biomedical applications, namely low biocompatibility of the metal-based nanomaterials, low bioavailability of hydrophobic small-molecule compounds, and easy degradation of

Photothermal ablation of murine melanomas by Fe₃O₄ nanoparticle clusters

• Xue Wang,
• Lili Xuan and
• Ying Pan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 255–264, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.20

• micelles and the formation of Fe3O4 nanoparticle clusters, which were then coated with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) to improve stability, biocompatibility and chemical features of the nanoparticles. Further SEM measurements revealed the as-formed Fe3O4 NPCs to be spherical and uniformly sized with an average

• nanoparticle-containing up-conversion nanoprobes, which required a minimal working concentration of at least 0.25 mg/mL to achieve a similar cell viability reduction [15]. These findings indicate that our Fe3O4 NPCs possess high biocompatibility and are able to ablate melanoma cells at low concentrations under

Engineered titania nanomaterials in advanced clinical applications

• Padmavati Sahare,
• Paulina Govea Alvarez,
• Juan Manual Sanchez Yanez,
• Gabriel Luna-Bárcenas,
• Samik Chakraborty,
• Sujay Paul and
• Miriam Estevez

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 201–218, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.15

• systems for theranostic purposes. Titanium dioxide (titanium(IV) oxide/titania/TiO2) has garnered considerable attention as one of the most extensively studied metal oxides in clinical applications. Owing to the unique properties of titania, such as photocatalytic activity, excellent biocompatibility

• that they can circulate freely through the circulatory system and can penetrate tissues. Recently, TiO2 has received substantial recognition as one of the most extensively studied inorganic metal oxides in clinical research due to its unique nanosized features, intrinsic properties, biocompatibility

• their clinical applications, including their usage as an implant material, antimicrobial agent, drug delivery vehicle, photothermal therapeutic tool, and antivenom. In addition, the intriguing physical and chemical properties of titania nanomaterials that affect their biocompatibility are also discussed

A comprehensive review on electrospun nanohybrid membranes for wastewater treatment

• Senuri Kumarage,
• Imalka Munaweera and
• Nilwala Kottegoda

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 137–159, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.10

• , modified chitin, cellulose acetate (CA) and chitosan (CS) have been electrospun as nanohybrids and have been used in a variety of applications [7][8]. Regarding the health sector, the enhanced biocompatibility, antibacterial properties, and cell compatibility has made ENHs great candidates to deliver

• pure electrospun polymer. Also, it has shown superior biocompatibility and osteoinductivity [9]. A nanohybrid electrospun non-woven mat of wool keratin combined with diclofenac loaded hydrotalcites was prepared by Giuri et al. as a bioactive wound dressing [8]. Munaweera et al. developed electrospun CA

Theranostic potential of self-luminescent branched polyethyleneimine-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles

• Rouhollah Khodadust,
• Ozlem Unal and
• Havva Yagci Acar

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 82–95, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.6

• targeting potential of these transfection vehicles [67][68][69]. The applied Erb concentration to modify nanoparticle surfaces was almost 1% of the toxic doses [63]. Therefore, selective internalization of the target cells with no toxicity was achieved. This result, coupled with the biocompatibility of the

Biocompatibility and cytotoxicity in vitro of surface-functionalized drug-loaded spinel ferrite nanoparticles

• Sadaf Mushtaq,
• Khuram Shahzad,
• Tariq Saeed,
• Anwar Ul-Hamid,
• Bilal Haider Abbasi,
• Nafees Ahmad,
• Waqas Khalid,
• Muhammad Atif,
• Zulqurnain Ali and
• Rashda Abbasi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1339–1364, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.99

• , magnetite NPs have some serious limitations, such as chemical reactivity, rapid oxidation, particle agglomeration, and high surface energy which may affect their biocompatibility and performance [11]. Moreover, they have low magnetization at a smaller size and the presence of iron has been associated with

• penetration and hemocompatibility which can be useful for biomedical applications [12][17]. Furthermore, in order to be exploited in biomedical applications, NPs need to fulfill certain criteria which include water solubility, excellent colloidal stability, biocompatibility, and high saturation magnetization

• hydrophobic NPs was achieved by the functionalization with an amphiphilic brush copolymer, poly(isobutylene-alt-maleic anhydride) (PMA) implanted with dodecylamine, which provides biocompatibility, colloidal stability, and hydrophilicity [22]. It is composed of hydrophobic side chains and the backbone of

Self-assembly of amino acids toward functional biomaterials

• Huan Ren,
• Lifang Wu,
• Lina Tan,
• Yanni Bao,
• Yuchen Ma,
• Yong Jin and
• Qianli Zou

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1140–1150, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.85

• , simple modeling, excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability in vivo. In addition, amino acids can be assembled with other components to meet multiple scientific needs. However, using these simple building blocks to design attractive materials remains a challenge due to the simplicity of the amino

• structure and functional reorganization. Peptides and proteins are attractive candidates for functional biomedical materials [10] due to their extensive existence in nature, easy access, and good biocompatibility [11]. Self-assembly refers to the selective and spontaneous formation of one or more well

• nucleotides, can be self-assembled [14]. Proteins are direct functional performers of countless interactions between living organisms and the outside world, and are susceptible to changes in pH value, ionic strength, and temperature [15]. Peptides have similar biocompatibility and diversity as proteins, but

pH-driven enhancement of anti-tubercular drug loading on iron oxide nanoparticles for drug delivery in macrophages

• Karishma Berta Cotta,
• Sarika Mehra and
• Rajdip Bandyopadhyaya

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1127–1139, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.84

• deployment in drug delivery is contingent upon controlled drug loading and a desired release profile, with simultaneous biocompatibility and cellular targeting. Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs), being biocompatible, are used as drug carriers. However, to prevent aggregation of bare IONPs, they are coated

• biocompatibility and magnetic properties, have found applications in drug delivery, magnetic resonance imaging and treatment of iron deficiencies [3][4][5][6]. The property of hyperthermia has been found to be beneficial in localized drug release, particularly in cancer therapy [7]. In anti-cancer therapy, IONPs

Use of nanosystems to improve the anticancer effects of curcumin

• Andrea M. Araya-Sibaja,
• Norma J. Salazar-López,
• Krissia Wilhelm Romero,
• José R. Vega-Baudrit,
• J. Abraham Domínguez-Avila,
• Carlos A. Velázquez Contreras,
• Ramón E. Robles-Zepeda,
• Mirtha Navarro-Hoyos and
• Gustavo A. González-Aguilar

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1047–1062, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.78

• nanoparticles (50–1000 nm) [61]. They contain crystallized lipid droplets that are solid at room and body temperatures [62][63], with the drug or the molecule of interest loaded into the solid lipid phase [64]. The advantages of SLN include high drug loading capacity, great stability, good biocompatibility, and

• advantages include high biocompatibility, safety, and flexibility (the latter can be modulated by the concentration of cholesterol in the lipid membrane) [40][73][74]. PEGylated long-circulating liposomes with co-encapsulated CUR–doxorubicin inhibited C26 (murine colon carcinoma) cell proliferation, in

An overview of microneedle applications, materials, and fabrication methods

• Zahra Faraji Rad,
• Philip D. Prewett and
• Graham J. Davies

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1034–1046, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.77

• or height, and shaft and tip shape. Other parameters including fluid flow rates, biocompatibility, penetration force, fragility, relative simplicity, and cost of fabrication are all key design considerations. The final design will depend on the limitations of the fabrication method and the mechanical

• are currently receiving more interest because of biocompatibility, superior mechanical properties, low material cost, and biodegradability. The low-cost of fabrication is an additional advantage of polymer microneedles over silicon. It is increasingly clear that the favoured fabrication methods used

• (COP) material using this method [5]. Fabrication and use of metal microneedles In addition to silicon and polymers, microneedles are also fabricated from metals including nickel, titanium, stainless steel, and palladium. Metals provide good mechanical properties and biocompatibility for microneedle

The role of deep eutectic solvents and carrageenan in synthesizing biocompatible anisotropic metal nanoparticles

• Nabojit Das,
• Akash Kumar and
• Raja Gopal Rayavarapu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 924–938, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.69

• the reported gold nanostars and nanoflowers [96]. Concerning the biocompatibility of the nanomaterials synthesized using DESs, only a couple of studies has been carried out in vivo and in vitro. Mineral-substituted apatite nanoparticles synthesized using a choline chloride/thiourea mixture for

• , biocompatibility, sustainability, and low cost, achieving the real potential in nanobiotechnology is not far. Carrageenan as green/safe stabilizing agent in nanomaterial synthesis A stabilizing agent, often known as capping agent, is one of the vital components in the synthesis of nanomaterials. The colloidal

• positively charged head group of the surfactants in the solution phase. The importance of using DESs and carrageenan is the fact that the biocompatible molecules already used in designing safe nanomaterials add no further improvement than just biocompatibility. Some are also prone to enzymatic degradation

Comprehensive review on ultrasound-responsive theranostic nanomaterials: mechanisms, structures and medical applications

• Sepand Tehrani Fateh,
• Lida Moradi,
• Elmira Kohan,
• Michael R. Hamblin and
• Amin Shiralizadeh Dezfuli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 808–862, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.64

• composition. Moreover, their biocompatibility, biodistribution, stability, capacity, and diagnostic efficacy are related to this factor. Lipid- and surfactant-based nanomaterials, polymeric nanomaterials, and metallic and non-metallic nanomaterials, in addition to micro- and nanomotors and some miscellaneous

Silver nanoparticles nucleated in NaOH-treated halloysite: a potential antimicrobial material

• Yuri B. Matos,
• Rodrigo S. Romanus,
• Mattheus Torquato,
• Edgar H. de Souza,
• Rodrigo L. Villanova,
• Marlene Soares and
• Emilson R. Viana

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 798–807, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.63

• , improving dispersability into polymeric matrices, keeping good biocompatibility with the human body, and immobilizing Ag-NPs on a substrate, which provides better interaction with bacteria and is a more eco-friendly way to obtain antimicrobial agents. Halloysite (HNT) is a natural clay, consisting of an

Recent progress in magnetic applications for micro- and nanorobots

• Ke Xu,
• Shuang Xu and
• Fanan Wei

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 744–755, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.58

• transportation of cargo [22][23], and transmit energy. Compared with other concepts, magnetic MNRs that combine diamagnetic, paramagnetic, and ferromagnetic materials [24] could have a greater driving force and exhibit characteristics such as biocompatibility [25]. Hence, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are widely

• enabled actuation, control, and observation of the FMSM. In most mobile sensing applications, microrobots are driven by chemical fuels such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and surfactants. In contrast, magnetic drives have good biocompatibility and external power supply. For example, a porous microelectrode

• also yielded biocompatibility. At the same time, adding a very thin layer of nickel or iron could improve magnetic properties. In order not to affect the swimming speed and let the flagella oscillate naturally as much as possible, Magdanz and others believed that it is possible to make strongly

Nanogenerator-based self-powered sensors for data collection

• Yicheng Shao,
• Maoliang Shen,
• Yuankai Zhou,
• Xin Cui,
• Lijie Li and
• Yan Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 680–693, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.54

• with good biocompatibility can used for implantable self-powered physiological sensors. The sensors can be powered by the mechanical energy from the biological activity of the organism, and provide physiological data. An implantable heart monitoring sensor based on a TENG can work stably for a long

• time, providing a solution for long-term heart monitoring. Zheng et al. proposed an implantable TENG (iTENG) to realize wireless heart monitoring in vivo [28]. The iTENG is not cytotoxic. The packaging material of the iTENG showed good biocompatibility in mouse fibroblasts. The iTENG was implanted

Doxorubicin-loaded gold nanorods: a multifunctional chemo-photothermal nanoplatform for cancer management

• Uzma Azeem Awan,
• Abida Raza,
• Shaukat Ali,
• Rida Fatima Saeed and
• Nosheen Akhtar

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 295–303, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.24

• properties such as significant absorption or scattering in the visible and near-infrared (NIR) regions, tunable aspect ratio, biocompatibility, fluorescence properties, and the ease of biofunctionalization, which makes them ideal in biomedical applications [13]. Gold-based nanomaterials (i.e., nanospheres

• their biocompatibility and dispersion at physiological pH values. The positive CTAB layer on the GNR surface facilitates electrostatic adsorption of anionic compounds, such as poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS), which ultimately facilitates electrostatic interaction with cationic anticancerous drugs

• may be responsible for the laser-triggered release of DOX. These findings are consistent with previous studies [23]. PSS-GNRs nanocomplex biocompatibility Dose-dependent biocompatibility and cytotoxicity efficiency of the nanocarriers were measured in vitro. The efficiency of the GNRs in mediating