Beyond biomimicry – next generation applications of bioinspired adhesives from microfluidics to composites

• Dan Sameoto

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 965–976, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.79

• could function as either a Velcro-like material or a biomimetic adhesive, depending on the modulus of the shape memory polymer [29]. Using MM3520, a shape memory polymer with a transition temperature of approximately 35 °C, and toggling between cool and warm states, the mechanical modulus could change

• early 2012, and the focus was then switched to specific applications integrating biomimetic adhesives rather than adhesive development. Compilation showing the assembly and integration of shape memory polymer dry adhesives with embedded heaters and soft robotic actuators. When in the soft state (T > 35

Therapeutic effect of F127-folate@PLGA/CHL/IR780 nanoparticles on folate receptor-expressing cancer cells

• Thi Ngoc Han Pham,
• Phuong-Thao Dang-Luong,
• Hong-Phuc Nguyen,
• Loc Le-Tuan,
• Xuan Thang Cao,
• Thanh-Danh Nguyen,
• Vy Tran Anh and
• Hieu Vu_Quang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 954–964, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.78

• materials. The polymers used in our study were made of pluronic F127. The polymers consist of three polymer blocks, including two PEO blocks and one PPO block. Because of the presence of F127 on the particles’ surface, the nanoparticles were effectively disseminated in our study. The hydrophobic block PPO

• 293 cells (Figure 2). However, when treating the cells with F127 polymer (2 mg/mL), the fluorescent signals were significantly reduced. The results proved that in the wells that were pretreated with F127 polymer, the polymer floated free in the cell culture medium, bound to the receptor, and competed

• in cancer treatment. Conclusion In this work, we designed F127-folate@PLGA nanoparticles capable of carrying CHL and IR780. The formulation approach has produced nanoparticles of extremely homogeneous size. The F127-folate polymer on the surface of nanoparticles made it easier for nanoparticles to

Electrospun nanofibers: building blocks for the repair of bone tissue

• Tuğrul Mert Serim,
• Gülin Amasya,
• Tuğba Eren-Böncü,
• Ceyda Tuba Şengel-Türk and
• Ayşe Nurten Özdemir

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 941–953, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.77

• method Electrospinning is an easy and fast method used to produce non-woven structures consisting of continuous ultrafine fibers with diameters ranging from micrometers down to nanometers. In this method, nanofibers are produced from a polymer solution or a melt with the help of electrostatic forces [41

• examined this method in detail. The first patent for turning a polymer solution into nanofibers by electrostatic forces was issued to J. F. Cooley in 1902. Between 1934 and 1944, Anton Formhals further developed the electrospinning method and equipment and obtained new patents [43]. In the 1990s

•  2. There are basically four main elements in an electrospinning assembly. These are (i) a high-voltage power source, (ii) a feeding unit (i.e., nozzle, syringe, or metal needle), (iii) a collector (i.e., plate, cylinder, disc, or rotating drum), and (iv) a viscous polymer (melt or solution) in

A review on the structural characterization of nanomaterials for nano-QSAR models

• Salvador Moncho,
• Eva Serrano-Candelas,
• Jesús Vicente de Julián-Ortiz and
• Rafael Gozalbes

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 854–866, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.71

• remain the norm in nano-QSAR. In spite of the chemical complexity inherent to any extended system (such as a crystal or polymer), most descriptors are simpler than those found for organic molecules, focusing on simplified structural formulas or single elements. In most cases, the composition of a NM is

Electrospun polysuccinimide scaffolds containing different salts as potential wound dressing material

• Veronika Pálos,
• Krisztina S. Nagy,
• Rita Pázmány,
• Krisztina Juriga-Tóth,
• Bálint Budavári,
• Judit Domokos,
• Dóra Szabó,
• Ákos Zsembery and
• Angela Jedlovszky-Hajdu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 781–796, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.65

• polymer-based systems (<500 nm). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy was applied to verify the presence of salts in the scaffolds and to determine the interaction between the salt and the polymer. Another analysis, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, was carried out to determine strontium and zinc

• atoms in the scaffolds. Our result showed that the salts influence the mechanical properties of the polymer scaffold, both in terms of specific load capacity and relative elongation values. According to the dissolution experiments, the whole amount of strontium nitrate was dissolved from the scaffold in

• Polymer mixtures contain at least one component besides the polymer, such as nanoparticles, inorganic salts, or other polymers. These types of polymer mixtures are used for medical purposes; for example, metronidazole/poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL)/alginate for dental implants or poly(lactic acid

AFM-IR investigation of thin PECVD SiO_x films on a polypropylene substrate in the surface-sensitive mode

• Hendrik Müller,
• Hartmut Stadler,
• Teresa de los Arcos,
• Adrian Keller and
• Guido Grundmeier

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 603–611, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.51

• refined and found its way into many and highly diverse fields of application, including virology, DNA nanotechnology, polymer science, and materials science [5][6][7][8][9]. The importance of AFM-IR steadily grew over the past decade and its development has been described in detail in several review

• compensation of the isolating polymer foils, the measurement was carried out in a 1.5 mbar N2 atmosphere. The survey spectra were recorded with a pass energy of 100 eV, while the core level spectra were taken with a 40 eV pass energy. The analysis was done using the software Unifit 2019 [17]. For all core

• at 1168 cm−1, all of which originate from the polymer foil [21][22]. In the spectra of the sample with a 50 nm SiOx film, a broad peak occurs around 1080 cm−1, which corresponds to Si–O–Si transversal oscillation modes [23][24][25]. In contrast, the sample with the thin SiOx film shows no broad peak

Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue under visible light by cobalt ferrite nanoparticles/graphene quantum dots

• Vo Chau Ngoc Anh,
• Le Thi Thanh Nhi,
• Le Thi Kim Dung,
• Dang Thi Ngoc Hoa,
• Nguyen Truong Son,
• Nguyen Thi Thao Uyen,
• Nguyen Ngoc Uyen Thu,
• Le Van Thanh Son,
• Le Trung Hieu,
• Tran Ngoc Tuyen and
• Dinh Quang Khieu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 475–489, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.43

• white light, and it has a yellow-brown colour, characteristic of GQDs prepared from the natural polymer starch [16]. The solution on the right was exposed to 254 nm UV light, and the colour changed to green. The typical absorption peak at 287 nm in the UV–vis spectrum of the aqueous GQD solution (Figure

Heat-induced morphological changes in silver nanowires deposited on a patterned silicon substrate

• Elyad Damerchi,
• Sven Oras,
• Edgars Butanovs,
• Allar Liivlaid,
• Mikk Antsov,
• Boris Polyakov,
• Annamarija Trausa,
• Veronika Zadin,
• Andreas Kyritsakis,
• Loïc Vidal,
• Karine Mougin,
• Siim Pikker and
• Sergei Vlassov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 435–446, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.39

• ; silver nanowires; Introduction Metal nanowires (NWs) are promising key elements in a wide range of applications, including solar cells [1], smart windows [2], flexible sensors [3], touch screens [4], biocompatible polymer binders [5], temperature sensing [6], medical materials [7], and key elements of

On the mechanism of piezoresistance in nanocrystalline graphite

• Sandeep Kumar,
• Simone Dehm and
• Ralph Krupke

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 376–384, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.34

• transfer is required on glass in an aqueous medium [26]. Third, NCG fills the cracks present at the edges during spin coating the polymer and inhibits their propagation during the bending of the substrate. Raman spectroscopy is a powerful method to detect strain in graphene, which can be determined from

• Figure 2c, and the fit parameters are given in Table 1. The model was initially given for a matrix in which conducting particles are dispersed in a polymer matrix and are separated by tunnel junctions. In this model, the conductivity in the film is determined by the number of conductive paths, N, and the

• . Nevertheless, the overall shape of the second curve is similar to the first one. Figure 2d shows a typical stress vs strain curve for a polymer film [32]. The trend of the curve looks similar to the resistance vs strain curve for NCG in Figure 2a. Since polymers are insulators, literature on resistance vs

Nanomedicines against Chagas disease: a critical review

• Maria Jose Morilla,
• Kajal Ghosal and
• Eder Lilia Romero

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 333–349, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.30

• Loncastuximab tesirine, launched in 2021 to treat B-cell lymphoma [84]. Nearly 10% are polymer–drug/protein conjugates such as polyethylene glycol-ʟ-asparaginase (Calaspargase pegol, Asparlas), launched in 2019 in the USA to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia [85]. Another 10% are protein-based nanoparticles

Comparative electron microscopy particle sizing of TiO₂ pigments: sample preparation and measurement

• Ralf Theissmann,
• Christopher Drury,
• Markus Rohe,
• Thomas Koch,
• Jochen Winkler and
• Petr Pikal

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 317–332, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.29

• as in [11], differences in method M1 with respect to [11][21] are described below. These three methods differ substantially in all their characteristic steps, including ultrasonic bath dispersion in water, dry dispersion in a solid polymer, and the powdering onto a sticky sample stub without

Vinorelbine-loaded multifunctional magnetic nanoparticles as anticancer drug delivery systems: synthesis, characterization, and in vitro release study

• Zeynep Özcan and
• Afife Binnaz Hazar Yoruç

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 256–269, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.24

• the use of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) polymer, is a widely used modification method to improve passive tumor targeting and retention [26][27][28]. In a study presented in the literature, PEGylation was used to impart passive tumor targeting properties to PDA nanoparticles. In in vivo experiments

• morphology and a size of 18 nm. After coating with PDA at different ratios, the size reaches up to 28, 61, and 225 nm. Another point is that PEGylation has been applied using SH-PEG polymer to enhance biocompatibility. Notably, our study demonstrates a significantly higher drug loading efficiency of 98

• external magnetic field. This finding is crucial for future studies on magnetic field-guided drug release and tumour treatment. Particularly, our research also investigates the effect of varying polymer ratios on drug release kinetics and photothermal efficiency, which was not addressed in the

Nanocarrier systems loaded with IR780, iron oxide nanoparticles and chlorambucil for cancer theragnostics

• Phuong-Thao Dang-Luong,
• Hong-Phuc Nguyen,
• Loc Le-Tuan,
• Xuan-Thang Cao,
• Vy Tran-Anh and
• Hieu Vu Quang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 180–189, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.17

• mg of F127 was separately added to the tubes, and the ligand exchange was performed at 4 °C for one week. The tube without added polymer was designated as PVA@PLGA/IO/CHL/IR780 (PVA@NP). Then, the nanoparticles were centrifuged for 30 min at 12,000 rpm and resuspended in distilled water. The final

• approx. 150 nm. However, there was a polymer layer covering the outside of the NPs, which made the spherical shape of the NPs not clear. Drug loading and release Entrapment of chlorambucil The entrapment of chlorambucil in the NPs was calculated by measuring the OD absorption of CHL in NPs after

• theragnostic applications, we have produced PLGA nanoparticles that carry chlorambucil as the chemotherapeutic medication and iron oxide nanoparticles as the imaging agent. Li et al., 2023, published similar results on F127@PLGA nanoparticles and claimed that the F127 polymer flocculates over the PVA layer

CdSe/ZnS quantum dots as a booster in the active layer of distributed ternary organic photovoltaics

• Gabriela Lewińska,
• Piotr Jeleń,
• Zofia Kucia,
• Maciej Sitarz,
• Łukasz Walczak,
• Bartłomiej Szafraniak,
• Jerzy Sanetra and
• Konstanty W. Marszalek

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 144–156, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.14

• studies on CdSe/ZnS nanodots as dopants in a polymer–fullerene matrix for application in organic solar cells. An assembly of poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) and 6,6-phenyl-C71-butyric acid methyl ester was used as the active reference layer. Absorption and luminescence spectra as well as the dispersion

• of QD-doped devices was compared to the reference system (ITO/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT:PCBM/aluminium). PEDOT:PSS ([poly(3.4-ethylene dioxythiophene] polystyrene sulfonate) is an intrinsically conductive polymer, a mixture of two ionomers, with a HOMO level equal to 5.17 eV [61]. It is widely used as a charge

• -hexylthiophene) (P3HT)/polymer-[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM)/Ca/Al [66]. With poly{[2,7-(9-(2-ethylhexyl)-9-hexylfluorene])-alt-[5,5-(4,7-di-2-thienyl-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)]} (PFDTBT) quantum dots doped into organic solar cells, a maximum PCE equal to 6.81% was obtained, corresponding to a

Study of the reusability and stability of nylon nanofibres as an antibody immobilisation surface

• Inés Peraile,
• Matilde Gil-García,
• Laura González-López,
• Nushin A. Dabbagh-Escalante,
• Juan C. Cabria-Ramos and
• Paloma Lorenzo-Lozano

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 83–94, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.8

• amide groups and free amine groups at the ends of its polymer chains, as well as carboxyl groups. These amide and amine groups provide excellent hydrogen bonding sites [23][24]. Regarding the binding of antibody to protein A/G, it has been described that this occurs at pH values between 5 and 8 because

Berberine-loaded polylactic acid nanofiber scaffold as a drug delivery system: The relationship between chemical characteristics, drug-release behavior, and antibacterial efficiency

• Le Thi Le,
• Hue Thi Nguyen,
• Liem Thanh Nguyen,
• Huy Quang Tran and
• Thuy Thi Thu Nguyen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 71–82, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.7

• polymer solution blended with additional components is applied under a high-voltage electrostatic field, generating a charged and stretched solution jet following nanofiber formation [8][9]. Drug delivery systems based on nanofiber scaffolds produced by electrospinning method have strongly attracted

• nanofiber compositions [11][12][13]. For a long-term drug release, hydrophobic polymers are chosen for the preparation of drug-loaded nanofiber scaffolds. This is because the hydrophobicity of the polymer could form air gaps, slowing matrix hydration and suppressing drug diffusion from the nanofibers [14

• ]. The core/shell nanofiber structure can also prolong the drug release since the polymer shell plays a role as a rate-control barrier [15]. On the other hand, the nanofiber scaffolds fabricated using suitable hydrophilic or water-soluble polymers are used to improve the dissolution profile and

Influence of conductive carbon and MnCo₂O₄ on morphological and electrical properties of hydrogels for electrochemical energy conversion

• Sylwia Pawłowska,
• Karolina Cysewska,
• Yasamin Ziai,
• Jakub Karczewski,
• Piotr Jasiński and
• Sebastian Molin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 57–70, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.6

• -stage synthesis of polymer composites based on PNIPAAm hydrogel was presented. Both conductive particles in the form of conductive carbon black (cCB) and MnCo2O4 (MCO) spinel particles were suspended in the three-dimensional structure of the hydrogel. The MCO particles in the resulting hydrogel

• ; hydrogel; hydrogen; oxygen evolution reaction; polymer composites; Introduction Hydrogels are defined as a group of polymeric materials with an insoluble hydrophilic structure which gives them the ability to absorb and hold large amounts of water (up to over 99 wt %) in their three-dimensional network

• . The phenomenon in which hydrogels swell in water while not dissolving in it is due to hydrophilic functional groups attached to the polymer backbone and cross-links between the network chains. High water content makes hydrogel materials similar in terms of microstructure and flexibility to living

Curcumin-loaded nanostructured systems for treatment of leishmaniasis: a review

• Douglas Dourado,
• Thayse Silva Medeiros,
• Éverton do Nascimento Alencar,
• Edijane Matos Sales and
• Fábio Rocha Formiga

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 37–50, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.4

• impact specific drug release kinetics and increase biocompatibility [60]. Different biodegradable polymers have been used for the development of targeted PNPs for the treatment of leishmaniasis [102]. In this scenario, chitosan is an interesting polymer for NP synthesis due to its positive charge, which

• favors adsorption by negatively charged cell membranes [103]. Additionally, studies have revealed antileishmanial properties of this polymer against Leishmania parasites, making it attractive for the synthesis of NPs intended for this treatment [56][104]. Therefore, Chaubey and colleagues developed

• cytotoxicity observed in in vivo studies. Hence, chitosan-based nanoparticles are a good strategy for drug delivery intended to treat leishmaniasis. This polymer can stimulate macrophages to produce pro-inflammatory cytokines, as they bind to receptors present in the cells of the immune system [106]. In this

Nanotechnological approaches in the treatment of schistosomiasis: an overview

• Lucas Carvalho,
• Michelle Sarcinelli and
• Beatriz Patrício

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 13–25, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.2

• , an exponential drug release [17][20]. Our research found that many articles utilized poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and chitosan nanoparticles, especially because they are biocompatible polymers and present great biodegradability. The polymer PLGA is approved for clinical use by Food and Drug

• Administration since 1989 [21] and, although no human data attests to chitosan safety, many animal tests prove its safety [22]. Eudragit L 100 is another polymer commonly used in literature because of its biocompatibility [8]. Overall, it is used when a delayed release is required. It is derived from polyacid

Curcumin-loaded albumin submicron particles with potential as a cancer therapy: an in vitro study

• Nittiya Suwannasom,
• Netsai Sriaksorn,
• Chutamas Thepmalee,
• Krissana Khoothiam,
• Ausanai Prapan,
• Hans Bäumler and
• Chonthida Thephinlap

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1127–1140, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.93

• % (Huh-7, Figure 6B) and 58% to 32% (MCF-7, Figure 6D). The CUR-HSA-MPs showed lower cytotoxicity than free CUR at the same drug concentrations. This could be explained by its drug delivery process, which is a common feature of polymer anticancer drugs. Enhanced and sustained release of CUR is attributed

Sulfur nanocomposites with insecticidal effect for the control of Bactericera cockerelli

• Lany S. Araujo-Yépez,
• Juan O. Tigrero-Salas,
• Vicente A. Delgado-Rodríguez,
• Vladimir A. Aguirre-Yela and
• Josué N. Villota-Méndez

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1106–1115, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.91

• ]. Furthermore, different kinds of polysaccharides (e.g., chitosan, alginates, and polyethylene glycol) have been used for the synthesis of nanoinsecticides [15]. While other forms of polymer and non-polymer nanoformulations, such as nanofibers, nanocapsules, nanogels, nanomicelles, and nanospheres, have been

Dual-heterodyne Kelvin probe force microscopy

• Benjamin Grévin,
• Fatima Husainy,
• Dmitry Aldakov and
• Cyril Aumaître

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1068–1084, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.88

• areas also showed a positive SPV [4]. Although the following model remains tentative, the picture that seems to emerge is that the BHJs investigated in this work feature nanophase-segregated networks with a higher concentration of the electron-donor polymer (accounting for the positive SPV), and/or a

Recognition mechanisms of hemoglobin particles by monocytes – CD163 may just be one

• Jonathan-Gabriel Nimz,
• Pichayut Rerkshanandana,
• Chiraphat Kloypan,
• Ulrich Kalus,
• Saranya Chaiwaree,
• Axel Pruß,
• Radostina Georgieva,
• Yu Xiong and
• Hans Bäumler

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1028–1040, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.85

• site within the Hb α chain is freely accessible (exclusively β-crosslinked Hb vs α-crosslinked Hb) [27]. Intermolecular modifications changing the molecular or polymer size of HBOCs [16][19][30] are relevant for protein binding as well. Hemoglobin sub-micron particles (HbMPs) obtained via

Exploring internal structures and properties of terpolymer fibers via real-space characterizations

• Michael R. Roenbeck and
• Kenneth E. Strawhecker

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1004–1017, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.83

• ; structure–property relationships; Technora®; Introduction High-performance polymer fibers have enabled groundbreaking advancements in numerous applications, from personal armor to tires to sports equipment, that aim to maximize mechanical performance while minimizing weight. The successes achieved with

• forerunners in the field, such as Kevlar® and ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), have driven tremendous interest in new fiber chemistries and processing techniques. The development of Technora® in 1987 marked a new approach to polymer fiber design, with an emphasis on aligning extended

• -diameter map were fibrillar in structure (Figure 3a). The surface consisted of a branched network of fibrils closely aligned to the fiber axis, as highlighted in Figure 3b. The widths of individual fibrils varied substantially (20–45 nm) along their length. Unlike in other polymer fibers we have explored

Nanoarchitectonics of photothermal materials to enhance the sensitivity of lateral flow assays

• Elangovan Sarathkumar,
• Rajasekharan S. Anjana and
• Ramapurath S. Jayasree

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 988–1003, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.82

• properties, that is, plasmonic materials (e.g., Au, Ag, and Pt), semiconductor materials (e.g., transition metal oxides, transition metal chalcogenides, and transition metal dichalcogenides), carbon-based nanomaterials (such as graphene oxide and carbon nanotubes), and polymer nanomaterials [33][34] (Figure

• nanoparticles in the composite can increase the light absorption through surface plasmon resonance. Hence, graphene-based multifunctional nanocomposite materials could be employed as promising photothermal agents [44]. Polymer-based nanomaterials: Because of high biocompatibility, high PCE, and facile synthesis

• ]. NIR light irradiation for 10 min can yield temperatures up to 61 °C in mesoporous PDA with a photoconversion efficiency of 26.7%. Despite the advantages, many of the polymer nanoparticles show strong photoluminescence and do not withstand long-term light irradiation. To overcome this challenge, hybrid