Titania nanoparticles for photocatalytic degradation of ethanol under simulated solar light

• Evghenii Goncearenco,
• Iuliana P. Morjan,
• Claudiu Teodor Fleaca,
• Florian Dumitrache,
• Elena Dutu,
• Monica Scarisoreanu,
• Valentin Serban Teodorescu,
• Alexandra Sandulescu,
• Crina Anastasescu and
• Ioan Balint

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 616–630, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.51

• components to substances that catalyze decomposition processes. They have a bandgap that varies from one material to another. Titanium dioxide is a semiconductor material and has been investigated, at first, for solar cells [1][2][3][4] and as optoelectronic component [5][6][7]. In recent years, it has been

Transferability of interatomic potentials for silicene

• Marcin Maździarz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 574–585, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.48

• ) fitted to a wide range of properties of 3D silicon determined from DFT calculations Results and Discussion Structural and mechanical properties Basic cells for the five silicene polymorphs, that is, flat (FS) (hP2, P6/mmm, no.191), low-buckled (LBS) (hP2, , no.164), trigonal dumbbell (TDS) (hP7, , no.189

Observation of multiple bulk bound states in the continuum modes in a photonic crystal cavity

• Rui Chen,
• Yi Zheng,
• Xingyu Huang,
• Qiaoling Lin,
• Chaochao Ye,
• Meng Xiong,
• Martijn Wubs,
• Yungui Ma,
• Minhao Pu and
• Sanshui Xiao

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 544–551, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.45

• Q factors [29][30]. Photonic crystals (PhCs) are composed of periodic unit cells that modulate the propagation of electromagnetic waves by defining allowed and forbidden energy bands. Because of the slow group velocity, photons are confined in the transverse direction at the band edge of the PhC. By

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

• Biological Sciences, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), C/ José Antonio Novais 12, 28040 Madrid, Spain 10.3762/bjnano.14.43 Abstract In the present work, the bottom-up fabrication of biohybrid materials using a nanoarchitectonics approach has been applied to entrap living cells. Unicellular

• microorganisms, that is, cyanobacteria and yeast cells, have been immobilized in silica and silicate-based substrates organized as nanostructured materials. In a first attempt, matrices based on bionanocomposites of chitosan and alginate incorporating sepiolite clay mineral and shaped as films, beads, or foams

• sol–gel methods, as well as pre-synthesised yolk–shell bionanohybrids have been studied subsequently. Optical microscopy and SEM confirm that the silica shell microstructures provide a reduced contact between cells. The inorganic matrix increases the survival of the cells and maintains their

The origin of black and white coloration of the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae)

• Manuela Rebora,
• Gianandrea Salerno,
• Silvana Piersanti,
• Alexander Kovalev and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 496–508, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.41

• (Figure 4b–d,h). Such nanovoids originate from the rests of epidermal cells and appear in TEM as white or light grey areas inside the scales, together with electron-dense debris (Figure 4h). Their occurrence is higher at the bases of microribs, because the cuticle thickness is higher there (Figure 4h

• the rest of epidermal cells, are occasionally visible between them (arrows). The cuticular microribs (arrow heads) along the ridges (R) appear in the cross section as small lateral globular bulges. Tarsal black and white scales of Aedes albopictus female in a light microscope. (a) Dry white scales

Specific absorption rate of randomly oriented magnetic nanoparticles in a static magnetic field

• Ruslan A. Rytov and
• Nikolai A. Usov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 485–493, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.39

• the tumor in the range of 41–43 °C over several medical treatments leads to the tumor destruction, as well as to the activation of the body’s immune response to cancer cells [8]. However, the introduction of MH into clinical practice is hindered by a number of difficulties. Unfortunately, it is not

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

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

• , Selangor, 43900, Malaysia School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, 999077, Hong Kong 10.3762/bjnano.14.32 Keywords: biocompatible nanoparticles; cancer cells; carrageenan; cytotoxic selectivity; green synthesis methods; nanobiotechnology; SARS-CoV-2; self

• infection caused by SARS-CoV-2. Another important topic covered in this thematic issue is presented in this article: “In search of cytotoxic selectivity on cancer cells with biogenically synthesized Ag/AgCl nanoparticles” [7]. This work explores the use of pineapple waste for the synthesis of silver and

• silver chloride nanoparticles, along with the analysis of the selective cytotoxicity of these nanoparticles on healthy and cancerous cells. The work aims to contribute to the production of alternative nanomaterials obtained from waste for therapeutic applications with emphasis on disease mitigation

Quercetin- and caffeic acid-functionalized chitosan-capped colloidal silver nanoparticles: one-pot synthesis, characterization, and anticancer and antibacterial activities

• Akif Hakan Kurt,
• Elif Berna Olutas,
• Fatma Avcioglu,
• Hamza Karakuş,
• Mehmet Ali Sungur,
• Cansu Kara Oztabag and
• Muhammet Yıldırım

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 362–376, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.31

• glioblastoma) and ARPE-19 (human retinal pigment epithelium) cells. Both NPs showed anticancer activity, but Ch/Q-Ag NPs seemed to be more effective on cancer cell lines (U-118 MG) in comparison to healthy ones (ARPE-19). Furthermore, the antibacterial activity of Ch/Q- and Ch/CA-Ag NPs against Gram-negative

• (P. aeruginosa and E. coli) and Gram-positive (S. aureus and S. epidermidis) bacteria was determined, and dose-dependent antibacterial effects were found. Keywords: Ag NPs; anticancer and antibacterial effects; caffeic acid; chitosan; one-pot synthesis; quercetin; U-118 MG and ARPE-19 cells

• high dose (500 µM) for 24 h. It decreased cell viability by 75% in glioblastoma cells and by 25% in non-cancerous cells (data not shown). From this, it can be concluded that the selected cancer drug is highly specific to the cancer cells [56]. Therefore, human glioblastoma (U-118 MG) cell lines were

The steep road to nonviral nanomedicines: Frequent challenges and culprits in designing nanoparticles for gene therapy

• Yao Yao,
• Yeongun Ko,
• Grant Grasman,
• Jeffery E. Raymond and
• Joerg Lahann

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 351–361, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.30

• (only 6% used 3D imaging, Figure 1a3) [19]. Furthermore, the subjective interpretation of results obtained by imaging techniques cannot be neglected [17]. Based on 50 studies regarding NP-mediated delivery of plasmid DNA to cells/tissues, only a small fraction reported systematic image quantification

• data sets at rates greater than one thousand cells per second [20]. This allows for a more robust statistical analysis resulting in a greater degree of confidence. In spite of its clear merits, this technique has not been accepted by the community as much as imaging (reported in less than 50% of the

• papers, Figure 1b). Despite the robust data it can provide, flow cytometry counts the total number of cells associated with NPs and cannot distinguish internalized cargo from surface-bound NPs [1][17]. To precisely quantify internalization, a secondary method is required that can differentiate between

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

• inherent cytotoxicity of PLGA may come from the accumulation of the degraded polymer components leading to changes in osmolality of the culture medium [50]. Other in vitro studies also reported that the size of PLGA nanoparticles had a significant impact on cytotoxicity against BEAS-2B and RAW264.7 cells

• were obtained upon solvent removal. High colloidal stability (longer than three months without sedimentation), high encapsulation efficiency (>99%), slow drug release (only 15% of the drug after five days), and low cytotoxicity against HeLa cells (cell viability > 80%) were observed. In vivo tests

• and cell viabilities higher than 75% (for concentrations below 100 nM). These nanoparticles displayed high gene silencing efficiencies (up to 90%) targeting Renilla luciferase mRNA, particularly when coated with PEG (Figure 3) and did not show hemolysis after incubation with red blood cells. PLGA

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

• considered one of the best materials with anticancer properties. Most of the administered NPs that end up in the bloodstream interact with the endothelial layer. The interaction of the NPs with the endothelium widens the existing gaps or induces new ones in the monolayer of vascular endothelial cells, thus

• cells, the inner lining of blood vessels controls the two-way transport of molecules and ions circulating in the blood and protects the inner tissue environment from harmful and dangerous substances [1][2][3][4]. The endothelium secretes vasodilation factors (e.g., nitric oxide and prostacyclin) and

• )), fibrinolysis (e.g., tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)), and blood clotting processes (e.g., tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI)) [4][6][7][8][9][10]. In addition, endothelial cells are involved in the immune response of the body. Endothelial cells regulate

Quasi-guided modes resulting from the band folding effect in a photonic crystal slab for enhanced interactions of matters with free-space radiations

• Kaili Sun,
• Yangjian Cai,
• Uriel Levy and
• Zhanghua Han

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 322–328, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.27

• choosing the proper incident angles. (a) Schematic of the photonic crystal slab structure of air holes in a silicon layer. (b) Top view of the unit cells for two cases. Left: the square lattice of the original structure, right: the distorted rectangular lattice with a period of 2a × a. Dispersion curves 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

• ][66]. Fluoroquinolones have a detrimental impact on the morphology and photosynthesis of plants, as well as on the ability of eukaryotic cells to synthesise DNA and replicate plastids. Streptomycin prevents Hordeum vulgare from producing chlorophyll, while ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, and

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

• membranes, provides a new approach to address NP deficiencies [9]. The encapsulation of NPs with cell membranes can endow the NPs with biomimetic functions and replicate the biological characteristics derived from the original cells, such as the immune evasion of erythrocytes [10] and platelets [11] and the

• tumor-targeting ability of stem cells [12], immune cells [13], and cancer cell membranes [14]. In vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that cell membrane-coated nanoparticles exhibit higher potency, longer retention, and more significant accumulation than bare nanoparticles in the tumor

• membranes have been exploited for the development of novel membrane NP-based therapies, such as erythrocytes [10], platelets [11], cancer cells [14], stem cells [12], immune cells [13], central nervous system-derived cells [17], bacterial outer membrane vesicles [18], and extracellular vesicles [19]. Cancer

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

• treatments because of their ability to target specific molecular abnormalities associated with NSCLC cells [8][9][10][11][12][13]. Unlike traditional chemotherapy, which interferes with cell division and kills rapidly dividing cells, molecularly targeted therapy is directed towards somatic genome mutations

• proliferation and survival mechanisms on which the cancer cells are heavily dependent. The efficacy of existing small molecules in synergistic combinations for relevant genetic mutations in resistant cancers has been evaluated in many research and clinical studies, with promising results in some types of mutant

• , defective intracellular trafficking of the HER2 antibody–drug conjugates, masking of the HER2 epitope, high rate of recycling, and the effect of upregulated drug efflux pumps, may be resolved by novel nanomedicines designed to interact with the tumor cells in a variety of ways with the goal of overcoming

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

• with appropriate carriers to fulfill several requirements. First, the composite needs be sufficiently stable in the body and successfully reach the target site without being trapped. Second, the composites must be efficiently internalized to the target tissues and cells. Finally, the drugs must be

• endogenous glutathione, which is abundant in the cells. Upon UV irradiation, however, azobenzene isomerizes from the trans form to the cis form and spontaneously dissociates from β-CyD. As a result, the disulfide linkage becomes more exposed and is reductively cleaved by glutathione. Thus, the mesopore is

• green light, and the reverse cis-to-trans isomerization occurs under blue light [50]. Compared with UV light, visible light is advantageous for medical applications, since it can penetrate more deeply into tissues and causes less photodamage to healthy cells. In the same way as unsubstituted azobenzene

Concentration-dependent photothermal conversion efficiency of gold nanoparticles under near-infrared laser and broadband irradiation

• Vikas,
• Raj Kumar and
• Sanjeev Soni

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 205–217, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.20

• cancerous cells [32]. The discussed results may be useful for the selection of nanoparticle concentrations as well as irradiation sources and irradiation power for a variety of applications involving the plasmonic photothermal phenomenon. Further, the variation in plasmonic wavelengths of gold nanomaterials

A novel approach to pulsed laser deposition of platinum catalyst on carbon particles for use in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells

• Bogusław Budner,
• Wojciech Tokarz,
• Sławomir Dyjak,
• Andrzej Czerwiński,
• Bartosz Bartosewicz and
• Bartłomiej Jankiewicz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 190–204, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.19

• an efficient Pt-based catalyst for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) by using a cost-effective and efficient physical method to deposit platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) on carbon supports directly from the platinum target. The method developed avoids the chemical functionalization of the

• W/cm2 obtained for commercial 20% Pt Vulcan XC-72R. This result was achieved with three times less Pt catalyst on the carbon support compared to the commercial catalyst, which means that a higher catalyst utilization factor was achieved. Keywords: carbon particles; cyclic voltammetry; fuel cells

• ; ORR; PEMFCs; PLD deposition; Pt catalyst; rotating ring-disk electrode (RRDE); SEM; TEM; XPS; Introduction Fuel cells, which cleanly and efficiently convert the chemical energy of hydrogen or other fuels to electrical energy, are a good alternative to dirty and wasteful combustion engines for

Structural, optical, and bioimaging characterization of carbon quantum dots solvothermally synthesized from o-phenylenediamine

• Zoran M. Marković,
• Milica D. Budimir,
• Martin Danko,
• Dušan D. Milivojević,
• Pavel Kubat,
• Danica Z. Zmejkoski,
• Vladimir B. Pavlović,
• Marija M. Mojsin,
• Milena J. Stevanović and
• Biljana M. Todorović Marković

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 165–174, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.17

• oxygen species production, and showed low dark cytotoxicity. By investigating the cellular uptake, it was established that these dots penetrated the HeLa cells and could be used as probes for bioimaging. Keywords: antibacterial; bioimaging; carbon quantum dots; precursor; reactive oxygen species

• ][20][21]. Because of the low dark cytotoxicity they can be used successfully for bioimaging of different cells [22][23]. In our previous research, we investigated the effect of various parameters on structural, optical, and biomedical properties of CQDs [5]. We reported how heteroatom dopants

• o-phenylenediamine did not disrupt the cytoplasmic membrane. Cytotoxicity testing Low cytotoxicity is one of the mandatory requirements for biomedical applications. In this paper, we performed cell viability tests by applying the MTT assay toward MRC5 human lung fibroblast cells. Lung fibroblasts

Antimicrobial and mechanical properties of functionalized textile by nanoarchitectured photoinduced Ag@polymer coating

• Jessica Plé,
• Marine Dabert,
• Helene Lecoq,
• Sophie Hellé,
• Lydie Ploux and
• Lavinia Balan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 95–109, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.11

• , metal-based nanoparticles (MNPs) are of particular interest for such applications as they exhibit impressive antibacterial and antifungal properties. Unlike antibiotics for example, that target cell wall synthesis, translational machinery and DNA replication inside bacteria cells [7], MNPs simply attack

• the outer cell membrane and as such, are less likely to prompt resistance in microorganisms. In addition, their tunable sizes, shapes, and high surface area-to-mass ratio offer increased interactions with cells [8]. The prevalent MNPs used today as antimicrobial agents are copper [9] (or copper oxide

• . Microbial cells, previously frozen at −80 °C, were spread on LB (Lysogeny broth, Sigma-Aldrich) or Sabouraud (COGER) agar plates and cultured for two nights at 30 °C for E. coli and 37 °C for C. albicans, respectively. Pre-cultures of E. coli in LB and C. albicans in M63G medium (a E. coli-selective

Gap-directed chemical lift-off lithographic nanoarchitectonics for arbitrary sub-micrometer patterning

• Chang-Ming Wang,
• Hong-Sheng Chan,
• Chia-Li Liao,
• Che-Wei Chang and
• Wei-Ssu Liao

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 34–44, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.4

• perform, robust to operate, and inexpensive to conduct [6][7]. With diverse compatible ink choices ranging from simple organic molecules [6] to silicones [8], proteins [9][10], DNA [11], and living cells [12], microcontact-printing-correlated techniques have shown great potential in biochemical research

Electrical and optical enhancement of ITO/Mo bilayer thin films via laser annealing

• Abdelbaki Hacini,
• Ahmad Hadi Ali,
• Nurul Nadia Adnan and
• Nafarizal Nayan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1589–1595, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.133

• ; Introduction Transparent conducting (TC) materials have been used in many optoelectronic devices, including flat panel displays [1], light-emitting diodes [2], heat-reflecting mirrors [3], anti-reflective coatings [4], gas sensors [5], and solar cells [6]. For this purpose, many materials have been developed

• significantly improve the electrical properties without affecting the optical transmission [9]. Several metals have been used for such thin layers, including silver [10], aluminium [11], copper [12], and gold [13]. Molybdenum thin films are another choice for the application in solar cells because of good

• adherence to the substrate, very high thermal stability (up to 600 °C), and high electrical conductivity [14]. Over the last decades, the development of solar cells has grown dramatically. The cells have become larger, thinner, and lighter. This increases the electrical resistivity, which is undesirable

Single-step extraction of small-diameter single-walled carbon nanotubes in the presence of riboflavin

• Polina M. Kalachikova,
• Anastasia E. Goldt,
• Eldar M. Khabushev,
• Timofei V. Eremin,
• Timofei S. Zatsepin,
• Elena D. Obraztsova,
• Konstantin V. Larionov,
• Liubov Yu. Antipina,
• Pavel B. Sorokin and
• Albert G. Nasibulin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1564–1571, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.130

• another class of biomolecules that can be potentially utilized as a surfactant for dispersing SWCNTs. Having relatively low solubility in water, flavins are generally innocuous for living cells. Riboflavin (also known as vitamin B2) is a precursor of such coenzymes as flavin mononucleotide phosphate and

• such as melanoma, luminal 45 A breast cancer, and squamous cell carcinoma. Riboflavin-covered SWCNTs have immense potential in detecting tumors since riboflavin is selectively attached to the riboflavin carrier protein in the tumor cells while the photoluminescence increased by SWCNTs allows for high

Utilizing the surface potential of a solid electrolyte region as the potential reference in Kelvin probe force microscopy

• Nobuyuki Ishida

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1558–1563, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.129

• electrodes. In Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) measurements on electrochemical cells, the surface potential is generally measured relative to electrical ground instead of a stable reference. Here, we show that the changes in the surface potential, measured using KPFM relative to the surface potential in