Biomimetics on the micro- and nanoscale – The 25th anniversary of the lotus effect

• Matthias Mail,
• Kerstin Koch,
• Thomas Speck,
• William M. Megill and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 850–856, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.69

• flapping insects with high aspect-ratio wings. The authors then relate the aerodynamic performance of the three species studied to the behavioural ecology requirements of their niches to generate exciting avenues of bioinspiration for flapping micro-air-vehicles. Bargel et al. [9] discuss in their review

• paper “Bioselectivity of silk protein-based materials and their bio-inspired applications” the importance of tailoring bioselective, biologically active, and multifunctional materials for biomedical applications in biomaterial research. The review was focused on two major topics, the first one being

• biological processes and surface interactions involved in the bioselective adhesion of mammalian cells. The second topic of the review was on repellence of microbes on protein-based material surfaces, highlighting the importance of materials made of recombinant spider silk proteins. Biomaterials that

A graphene quantum dots–glassy carbon electrode-based electrochemical sensor for monitoring malathion

• Sanju Tanwar,
• Aditi Sharma and
• Dhirendra Mathur

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 701–710, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.56

• proofreading; Aditi Sharma: characterization and investigation; Dhirendra Mathur: review and supervision. Conflicts of Interest There are no conflicts to declare.

Metal-organic framework-based nanomaterials as opto-electrochemical sensors for the detection of antibiotics and hormones: A review

• Akeem Adeyemi Oladipo,
• Saba Derakhshan Oskouei and
• Mustafa Gazi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 631–673, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.52

• researchers have published a number of nanomaterial-based (quantum dots, carbon-based, and metal-based) sensors for the detection of various analytes [1][2][7][9][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38]. A review paper that offers a comprehensive analysis of current developments based on metal-organic

• framework (MOF) opto-electrochemical nanosensors for the detection of hormones and antibiotics is still missing, though. This review focuses on a variety of sensing applications that use MOFs as well as the synergistic mechanisms of MOF hybrids or composites that improve sensing performance. It provides a

• brief summary and discussion of MOF synthesis methods. This review begins by summarising the importance of monitoring and detecting hormones and antibiotics in various matrices. The traditional analytical methods employed for detecting pharmaceutical residues are then briefly described. Comprehensive

Nanoarchitectonics to entrap living cells in silica-based systems: encapsulations with yolk–shell and sepiolite nanomaterials

• Celia Martín-Morales,
• Jorge Fernández-Méndez,
• Pilar Aranda and
• Eduardo Ruiz-Hitzky

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 522–534, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.43

• as shell components [22][23][24][25]. All these biotechnological and multidisciplinary approaches are concerned with cell surface engineering for efficient encapsulation using divers nanomaterials. However, a recent review article published by Homburg and Patel [26] showed the necessity to solve

Conjugated photothermal materials and structure design for solar steam generation

• Chia-Yang Lin and
• Tsuyoshi Michinobu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 454–466, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.36

• materials (PTMs) have attracted significant interest because of their advantages over metallic and inorganic PTMs in terms of high light absorption, designable molecular structures, flexible morphology, and solution processability. We review here the recent progress in solar steam generation devices based

• and describe commonly used conjugated organic materials and structural designs. Keywords: absorption; conjugated molecules; energy transfer; photothermal materials; solar steam generation; Review Introduction With the rapid development of the world economy, global water shortages are occurring

• can be predicted by density functional theory (DFT) calculations of the conjugated structures. This is an advantage over other carbon materials, even if they are of the same chemical composition [18][19][20][21][22]. We review the recent progress in the material development of conjugated solar

Molecular nanoarchitectonics: unification of nanotechnology and molecular/materials science

• Katsuhiko Ariga

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 434–453, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.35

• include the direct observation of organic synthesis processes at the molecular level with high resolution, and the control of organic syntheses with probe microscope tips. These can also be considered as starting points for nanoarchitectonics. In this review, these examples of molecular nanoarchitectonics

• -surface synthesis; Review Introduction Nanotechnology is a game changer that has innovated the course of scientific research. Nanotechnology innovations have unlocked mysteries at the nanoscale [1][2][3]. These research innovations have bridged the gap between nanoscale basic science and materials

• greatly to the elucidation of the elementary processes of materials synthesis. The development of observation and analysis techniques for ultrasmall structures by nanotechnology has clarified processes of materials creation. For example, as summarized in a recent review by Harano, electron microscopic

Plasmonic nanotechnology for photothermal applications – an evaluation

• A. R. Indhu,
• L. Keerthana and
• Gnanaprakash Dharmalingam

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 380–419, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.33

• , a higher efficiency of photon absorption, facile tuning, as well as flexibility in the synthesis of plasmonic nanomaterials. This review of plasmonic PT (PPT) research begins with a theoretical discussion on the plasmonic properties of nanoparticles by means of the quasi-static approximation, Mie

• nanocomposites. A detailed investigation of the essential, but often ignored, concept of thermal, chemical, and aggregation stability of nanoparticles is another part of this review. The challenges that remain, as well as prospective directions and chemistries, regarding nanomaterials for PT conversion are

• pondered on in the final section of the article, taking into account the specific requirements from different applications. Keywords: nanoparticle heating; phonons; photothermal; plasmonic; stability; surface plasmon resonance; Review 1 Introduction With an ever-increasing demand for energy and the

New trends in nanobiotechnology

• Pau-Loke Show,
• Kit Wayne Chew,
• Wee-Jun Ong,
• Sunita Varjani and
• Joon Ching Juan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 377–379, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.32

• thematic issue covered topics related to new concepts and ideas pertaining to the design and development of nanobiotechnology. These works include “The role of deep eutectic solvents and carrageenan in synthesizing biocompatible anisotropic metal nanoparticles” [4]. This review sheds light onto significant

• works involving the synthesis of metal nanoparticles using environmentally friendly wet chemical methods in which carrageenan is the main resource. The review summarises the possibility of creating a safe and non-toxic path to the synthesis of nanomaterials while maintaining its properties, such as

• agent for nanomaterials synthesis. The review is concluded providing an outlook of these two components (i.e., deep eutectic solvents and carrageenan) as alternatives for the formation of plasmonic metal nanoparticles. The importance of applying these tools to improve the physicochemical properties and

Polymer nanoparticles from low-energy nanoemulsions for biomedical applications

• Santiago Grijalvo and
• Carlos Rodriguez-Abreu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 339–350, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.29

• , nanoparticle concentration, surface functionalization, and the type of polymers that can be processed. Keywords: ethyl cellulose; nanoemulsions; nanomedicine; phase inversion composition (PIC) method; PLGA; polymer nanoparticles; polyuria; polyurethane; surfactants; Review 1 Introduction The field of

• should be biocompatible, preferentially biodegradable, and with the capacity for proper encapsulation and release of the drug payload. It is also desired that the matrix surface contains reactive or charged groups that facilitate functionalization by covalent or electrostatic bonding. Herein, we review

• through phase inversion has been reported [30][31][32][33][34][35]. A phase behavior study is commonly needed to find the appropriate surfactant for a given monomer, as well as the conditions for phase inversion in terms of temperature and/or composition. This review is centered on polymers of biomedical

Overview of mechanism and consequences of endothelial leakiness caused by metal and polymeric nanoparticles

• Magdalena Lasak and
• Karol Ciepluch

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 329–338, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.28

• bidirectional vascular permeability, which may contribute to the formation of cancer metastases. In this review we are focusing on the effect of metal and polymeric NPs on mechanism and degree of induction of NanoEL, as well as on the benefits and risks of using NPs that induce endothelial leakiness. Keywords

• : endothelial leakiness; metal nanoparticles; NanoEL; nanotoxicity; vascular permeability; Review Introduction The vascular barrier is a highly selective boundary between blood and tissues. Its proper functioning is essential to maintaining homeostasis of the whole organism. Formed from mesodermal endothelial

• manner with minimal side effects, are being sought [23][26]. This review focuses on the effect of NPs (mostly metal NPs, which are known to lead to endothelial leakiness) on the NanoEL mechanism and the degree of NanoEL induction, as well as on the benefits and risks of using such NPs. Since the rise of

Bismuth-based nanostructured photocatalysts for the remediation of antibiotics and organic dyes

• Akeem Adeyemi Oladipo and
• Faisal Suleiman Mustafa

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 291–321, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.26

• of the most prominent study topics compared to the commonly used semiconductors (TiO2 and ZnO). In this review, the most recent developments in the use of photocatalysts based on bismuth (e.g., BiFeO3, Bi2MoO6, BiVO4, Bi2WO6, Bi2S3) to remove dyes and antibiotics from wastewater are thoroughly

• applications, are addressed. Keywords: advanced oxidation processes; emerging contaminants; low-dimensional nanomaterials; pharmaceutical by-products; Schottky junction; Review Introduction Worldwide, water pollution is rising, endangering the economic potential and development objectives of severely

• exposure. Since the oxidation rate is still up to 96.3% after four cycles, the photocatalyst showed great performance and stability in the photocatalytic oxidation of the dye. This review provides an overview of the recent nanostructured photocatalytic materials based on bismuth that are employed in the

Recent progress in cancer cell membrane-based nanoparticles for biomedical applications

• Qixiong Lin,
• Yueyou Peng,
• Yanyan Wen,
• Xiaoqiong Li,
• Donglian Du,
• Weibin Dai,
• Wei Tian and
• Yanfeng Meng

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 262–279, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.24

• of cancer cell membranes. In this review, different properties and functions of cancer cell membranes are presented. Utilizing these advantages, nanoparticles can exhibit unique therapeutic capabilities in various types of diseases, such as solid tumors, hematological malignancies, immune system

• clinical translation prospects, and the associated challenges are discussed. Keywords: cancer cell biomimetics; nanoparticles; precision medicine; targeted therapy; theranostic nanomedicine; Review 1 Introduction Biomimetic nanotechnology, an emerging interdisciplinary field, involves different

• , cancer cell membranes also show excellent performance in nontumor diseases such as immune system diseases [25] and cardiovascular diseases [26] because of their rich surface functions that yield immunomodulation [22] and biological barrier penetration [27]. Here, we review recent advances and original

Nanotechnology – a robust tool for fighting the challenges of drug resistance in non-small cell lung cancer

• Filip Gorachinov,
• Fatima Mraiche,
• Diala Alhaj Moustafa,
• Ola Hishari,
• Yomna Ismail,
• Jensa Joseph,
• Maja Simonoska Crcarevska,
• Marija Glavas Dodov,
• Nikola Geskovski and
• Katerina Goracinova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 240–261, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.23

• care for patients with advanced NSCLC [13][14][15]. This review article briefly covers some of the advances in therapeutic protocols based on the novel discoveries in molecular profiles and mutational diagnostics of NSCLC, which harbor activating and resistance EGFR mutations along with corresponding

• different drugs and inhibitors of various oncogenic pathways to fight NSCLC resistance are covered. Review EGFR mutations and current problems in NSCLC treatment The main reasons behind the limited success of TKI monotherapy in the suppression of lung cancer growth for an extended period are tumor

Cyclodextrins as eminent constituents in nanoarchitectonics for drug delivery systems

• Makoto Komiyama

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 218–232, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.21

• nanoarchitectures are highly promising for future applications in medicine, pharmaceutics, and other relevant fields. Keywords: cyclodextrin; drug delivery system (DDS); nanoarchitecture; phototherapy; siRNA; Review 1 Introduction Recently, drug delivery systems (DDSs) have been attracting much interest [1][2][3

• CyDs in nanoarchitectures mostly behave like monomeric molecules, and new functions are additionally envisioned in nanoarchitectonics. This review will cover recent developments of CyD-based nanoarchitectures for advanced DDSs. Essential roles of CyDs for the construction of eminent nanoarchitectures

• comprehensive survey of applications of CyDs in DDSs is beyond this review, and the readers who are interested in them should refer to other excellent reviews and articles [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34]. 2 CyD-based nanoarchitectures for photoresponsive

The influence of structure and local structural defects on the magnetic properties of cobalt nanofilms

• Alexander Vakhrushev,
• Aleksey Fedotov,
• Olesya Severyukhina and
• Anatolie Sidorenko

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 23–33, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.3

• discussed in detail in [34]. Phase-transition memory technology is among actively developing and promising technologies since it enables the design of small devices with high performance, durability, and cost-effectiveness. The authors of [34] review how the characteristics of phase transition memory

Recent trends in Bi-based nanomaterials: challenges, fabrication, enhancement techniques, and environmental applications

• Vishal Dutta,
• Ankush Chauhan,
• Ritesh Verma,
• C. Gopalkrishnan and
• Van-Huy Nguyen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1316–1336, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.109

• photocatalysts, upgrading the photocatalytic ability, and understanding essential reactions of the photocatalytic process. This paper provides insights into the characteristics of Bi-based photocatalysts, making them a promising future nanomaterial for environmental remediation. The current review discusses the

• analogies, and future challenges of photocatalysts derived from bismuth-based nanomaterials are also discussed. There are many review reports on synthesis and enhancement techniques of Bi-based photocatalysts and the application of these photocatalysts in hydrogen generation, CO2 reduction, and water

• . Hopefully, this work will help researchers understand how Bi-based nanomaterial photocatalysts may be employed in different environmental remediation systems by understanding the properties of Bi-based nanomaterials photocatalysts. Review Photocatalysis Photocatalysis and its challenges Photocatalysis can

Studies of probe tip materials by atomic force microscopy: a review

• Ke Xu and
• Yuzhe Liu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1256–1267, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.104

• disadvantages of the improved probes compared with ordinary probes by comparing the differences in performance in terms of spatial resolution, sensitivity, and imaging, and finally provides an outlook on the future development of AFM probes. Review Metal probe Metal nanocluster probe Metal nanoclusters contain

Design of surface nanostructures for chirality sensing based on quartz crystal microbalance

• Yinglin Ma,
• Xiangyun Xiao and
• Qingmin Ji

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1201–1219, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.100

• design of the recognition layers. Various strategies have been employed for studying the relationship between the structural features and the specific detection of chiral isomers. This review provides an overview of the construction of chiral sensing layers by various nanostructures and materials in the

• . These make QCM a versatile platform for both constructing novel sensing systems and studying sensing behaviors, whose advantages are incomparable to other conventional chiral sensing systems. In this review, we briefly summarized a wide range of nanostructures for chiral sensing based on QCM systems

• , including biomolecular layers, chiral molecular assemblies, polymer hybrids, inorganic nanostructures, and metal crystals. Review Construction of molecular layers for chiral sensing by QCM Organic molecular layers are the most common selectors used for chiral recognition in the QCM system. The selector

Application of nanoarchitectonics in moist-electric generation

• Jia-Cheng Feng and
• Hong Xia

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1185–1200, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.99

• generator (MEG) has been studied in recent years and may become an energy source that can be utilized in daily life. Along with the advancement of technological means, nanoarchitectonics play an important role in MEG devices. This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the fundamentals of the MEG

• the application status and further potential of MEG devices are discussed in this review. It is expected that this review may provide valuable knowledge for future MEG research. Keywords: electric double layer; energy; moist-electric generators; nanoarchitectonics; Review 1 Introduction The use of

• used in MEGs. This review provides a comprehensive coverage of the studies in the field of MEGs in terms of nanomaterials, and the connection between the nanoarchitectonics and MEGs will also be introduced. The various parameters that have an influence on the performance of MEGs will be summarized and

Microneedle-based ocular drug delivery systems – recent advances and challenges

• Piotr Gadziński,
• Anna Froelich,
• Monika Wojtyłko,
• Antoni Białek,
• Julia Krysztofiak and
• Tomasz Osmałek

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1167–1184, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.98

• developments in microtechnology, in recent years, there has been a remarkable advance in the development of microneedle-based systems as an alternative, non-invasive form for administering drugs to the eye. This review summarizes the latest achievements in the field of obtaining microneedle ocular patches. In

• physiology of the eye are summarized and discussed. Keywords: eye; microneedles; ocular drug delivery; ophthalmic drugs; Review 1 Introduction Since its first appearance in biomedicine, microtechnology is rapidly entering the world of pharmaceutical sciences, including pharmaceutical technology [1][2][3][4

• [111][112]. Another application for which MNs have great potential is vaccine delivery [113][114][115][116]. The use of MNs in ophthalmology can still be considered as a fledgling area, however, with great potential but also many unknowns. The presented review summarizes the current data on ophthalmic

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

• sensing, bioimaging, catalysis, medicine, optoelectronics, and drug delivery due to their unique properties, that is, low cytotoxicity, cytocompatibility, water-solubility, multicolor wavelength tuned emission, photo-stability, easy modification, strong chemical inertness, etc. This review article

• techniques for improving synthesis, characterization, yield, and applications of CDs There are several outstanding review articles on different applications, such as photochemical and electrochemical applications [32], photocatalysis [33], optoelectronics [34], wastewater treatment [35], food safety

• . Sharma et al. reported an excellent review article on the green synthesis of CDs in 2017 [43]. Recently, Tejwan et al. [44] and Lin et al. [45] also reported review articles about synthesis and applications of CDs obtained from green precursors. Meng et al. reviewed CDs made from biomass and their

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

• ]. Review Bone structure Bone is a hard tissue that contains different kinds of cells including osteoblasts, osteocytes, and osteoclasts (Figure 1) [26]. The inorganic hydroxyapatite and organic type I collagen components are vital to bone tissue. The bone biomineralisation activities are formed by

Spindle-like MIL101(Fe) decorated with Bi₂O₃ nanoparticles for enhanced degradation of chlortetracycline under visible-light irradiation

• Chen-chen Hao,
• Fang-yan Chen,
• Kun Bian,
• Yu-bin Tang and
• Wei-long Shi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1038–1050, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.91

• . Fang-yan Chen: conceptualization, project administration, supervision, resources, writing - review & editing. Kun Bian: investigation, data curation, writing - review & editing. Yu-bin Tang: supervision, formal analysis, methodology. Wei-long Shi: funding acquisition, conceptualization, project

Comparing the performance of single and multifrequency Kelvin probe force microscopy techniques in air and water

• Jason I. Kilpatrick,
• Emrullah Kargin and
• Brian J. Rodriguez

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 922–943, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.82

• increases such that the electrostatic response is greatly enhanced. Other more complex effects in liquid environments are excluded from our analysis, for example, effects of the double layer, electrodynamics, or changes in permittivity with salt concentration. For a review of the impact of these effects on

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

• , slow biodegradation, low immunogenicity, and non-toxicity, making them ideally suited for tissue engineering and biomedical applications. Furthermore, recombinant production technologies allow for application-specific modification to develop adjustable, bioactive materials. The present review focusses

• bioselectivity. Keywords: antifouling; bacteriostatic; biofouling; bioselective cell adhesion; spider silk protein; Review 1 Introduction 1.1 Bioadhesive protein surfaces Biological adhesion is important for all organisms such as plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi, covering a wide range of biological aspects

• 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