Advances and challenges in the field of plasma polymer nanoparticles

• Andrei Choukourov,
• Pavel Pleskunov,
• Daniil Nikitin,
• Valerii Titov,
• Artem Shelemin,
• Mykhailo Vaidulych,
• Anna Kuzminova,
• Pavel Solař,
• Jan Hanuš,
• Jaroslav Kousal,
• Ondřej Kylián,
• Danka Slavínská and
• Hynek Biederman

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2002–2014, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.200

• plasma polymerization of volatile monomers or via radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering of conventional polymers. The formation of hydrocarbon, fluorocarbon, silicon- and nitrogen-containing plasma polymer nanoparticles as well as core@shell nanoparticles based on plasma polymers is discussed with a

• , interaction with cells, and in other applications. Core@shell nanoparticles The versatility of GAS may be further extended if two different processes are combined in one experimental run. One can take advantage of magnetron sputtering of metals and plasma polymerization of organic precursors to create

• heterogeneous NPs in which metallic inclusions are enveloped by layers of plasma polymer (core@shell NPs). For example, the process can be performed in the GAS by RF magnetron sputtering of metal in argon with the addition of an organic precursor (Figure 12a) or metal NPs can be pre-formed in the GAS by DC

Fabrication of carbon nanospheres by the pyrolysis of polyacrylonitrile–poly(methyl methacrylate) core–shell composite nanoparticles

• Dafu Wei,
• Youwei Zhang and
• Jinping Fu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1897–1908, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.190

• , College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China 10.3762/bjnano.8.190 Abstract Carbon nanospheres with a high Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) specific surface area were fabricated via the pyrolysis of polyacrylonitrile–poly(methyl methacrylate) (PAN–PMMA) core–shell

• . In this study, PAN-based carbon nanopsheres were fabricated from the PAN–PMMA core–shell nanoparticles precursor. Specifically, PAN–PMMA core–shell latexes at high concentration and low surfactant content were first synthesized via a two-stage AIBN-initiated semicontinuous emulsion polymerization

• 0.8 are displayed as a core–shell structure composed of dark inner cores with irregular contours and light outer layers with smooth contours (Figure 4b). The presence of smooth outer contours indicates the successful growth of the outer PMMA layer on the surface of PAN seed particles. The distinct

Synthesis and functionalization of NaGdF₄:Yb,Er@NaGdF₄ core–shell nanoparticles for possible application as multimodal contrast agents

• Dovile Baziulyte-Paulaviciene,
• Vitalijus Karabanovas,
• Marius Stasys,
• Greta Jarockyte,
• Vilius Poderys,
• Simas Sakirzanovas and
• Ricardas Rotomskis

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1815–1824, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.183

• ultrasmall core and core–shell UCNPs were synthesized via a thermal decomposition method. Furthermore, it was shown that the epitaxial growth of a NaGdF4 optical inert layer covering the NaGdF4:Yb,Er core effectively minimizes surface quenching due to the spatial isolation of the core from the surroundings

• . The mean diameter of the synthesized core and core–shell nanoparticles was ≈8 and ≈16 nm, respectively. Hydrophobic UCNPs were converted into hydrophilic ones using a nonionic surfactant Tween 80. The successful coating of the UCNPs by Tween 80 has been confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR

• ) spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL) spectra and magnetic resonance (MR) T1 relaxation measurements were used to characterize the size, crystal structure, optical and magnetic properties of the core and core–shell nanoparticles. Moreover

Near-infrared-responsive, superparamagnetic Au@Co nanochains

• Varadee Vittur,
• Arati G. Kolhatkar,
• Shreya Shah,
• Irene Rusakova,
• Dmitri Litvinov and
• T. Randall Lee

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1680–1687, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.168

• magnetic properties and their greater stability toward oxidation compared to Ni- and Fe-based magnetic nanoparticles [23]. Notably, there have been a handful of studies on magneto-optical nanostructures consisting of cobalt coated with gold. Bao and co-workers synthesized magnetic Co–Au core–shell

Two-dimensional carbon-based nanocomposites for photocatalytic energy generation and environmental remediation applications

• Suneel Kumar,
• Ashish Kumar,
• Ashish Bahuguna,
• Vipul Sharma and
• Venkata Krishnan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1571–1600, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.159

Calcium fluoride based multifunctional nanoparticles for multimodal imaging

• Marion Straßer,
• Joachim H. X. Schrauth,
• Sofia Dembski,
• Daniel Haddad,
• Bernd Ahrens,
• Stefan Schweizer,
• Bastian Christ,
• Alevtina Cubukova,
• Marco Metzger,
• Heike Walles,
• Peter M. Jakob and
• Gerhard Sextl

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1484–1493, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.148

• imaging and diagnosis [2]. One possibility is the synthesis of core/shell-structured NPs. Core and shell materials can be matched individually to specific detection methods. For example, the coating of a magnetic core with silicates or polymer shells doped with organic fluorophores or quantum dots (QDs

• ) allows for the detection of NPs by MRI and PL [4]. Several successive shells can be designed of different inorganic materials. In this context, the following particle systems may be mentioned Gd2O(CO3)2·H2O/SiO2/Au, Fe3O4/C/Ag and Fe3O4/SiO2/Y2O3:(Yb3+,Er3+) core/shell NPs [5][6][7]. Another possibility

Development of polycationic amphiphilic cyclodextrin nanoparticles for anticancer drug delivery

• Gamze Varan,
• Juan M. Benito,
• Carmen Ortiz Mellet and
• Erem Bilensoy

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1457–1468, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.145

• agents for gene delivery in the form of nanoplexes. In this study, the potential of polycationic, amphiphilic cyclodextrin nanoparticles were evaluated in comparison to non-ionic amphiphilic cyclodextrins and core–shell type cyclodextrin nanoparticles for paclitaxel delivery to breast tumors. Pre

• compare the potential of polycationic amphiphilic CD nanoparticles as delivery systems for effective and safe delivery of PCX in comparison to its non-ionic or core–shell analogues. For this reason, two different cyclodextrin derivatives were used in this context, namely the non-ionic 6OCaproβCD (MW: 1813

• nanoparticles, and acetone > methanol > ethanol for PC βCDC6 nanoparticles. It is worth noting that ethanol also gave the most monodisperse particles with an acceptable polydispersity index (<0.2) (Table 1). As expected, the core–shell nanoparticles CS-6OCaproβCD had the largest size due to the chitosan coating

Cationic PEGylated polycaprolactone nanoparticles carrying post-operation docetaxel for glioma treatment

• Cem Varan and
• Erem Bilensoy

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1446–1456, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.144

• treat brain tumors and prevent tumor recurrence. The aim of this study was to develop core–shell polymeric nanoparticles with positive charge by employing a chitosan coating. Additionally, an implantable formulation for the chemotherapeutic nanoparticles was developed as a bioadhesive film to be applied

• than 100 nm and a net positive surface charge to facilitate cellular internalization of drug-loaded nanoparticles. Hydroxypropyl cellulose films were prepared to incorporate these nanoparticle dispersions to complete the implantable drug delivery system. Results: The diameter of core–shell

• suggested to result in a more effective brain tumor treatment when compared to chemotherapeutics administered as an intravenous bolus infusion. Keywords: bioadhesive film; cationic nanoparticle; core–shell nanoparticle; docetaxel; glioma; Introduction A brain tumor is known as an abnormal growth of

Synthesis of [Fe(L_eq)(L_ax)]_n coordination polymer nanoparticles using blockcopolymer micelles

• Christoph Göbel,
• Ottokar Klimm,
• Florian Puchtler,
• Sabine Rosenfeldt,
• Stephan Förster and
• Birgit Weber

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1318–1327, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.133

• (bpey)]n@BCP, five cycles) is given as typical representative of all samples. A detailed characterisation of all samples with TEM is given in Supporting Information File 1, Table S3. The TEM picture of 3e in Figure 2a clearly reveals the formation of spherical nanoparticles with a core–shell nature. The

• with a Mythen 1K detector. Magnetic susceptibility data for the coordination polymers [FeLeq(bpea)]n (1) and [FeLeq(bpey)]n (3), which undergo spin crossover. Characterisation of CP–BCP composite micelles. a) TEM picture of 3e ([FeLeq(bpey)]n@BCP, five cycles) illustrating the core–shell nature of the

Fabrication of hierarchically porous TiO₂ nanofibers by microemulsion electrospinning and their application as anode material for lithium-ion batteries

• Jin Zhang,
• Yibing Cai,
• Xuebin Hou,
• Xiaofei Song,
• Pengfei Lv,
• Huimin Zhou and
• Qufu Wei

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1297–1306, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.131

• widely used in fabricating various nanostructures. The structure of nanofibers can be conveniently adjusted by changing the experimental parameters, the composition of the precursor solution and the structure of the spinneret [23][24][25]. Core–shell nanofibers are normally prepared by coaxial

• electrospinning. However, coaxial electrospinning limits the further development of core–shell nanofibers because of its complicated spinneret, the limited number of suitable fluids and the unstable structure of the fibers. Recently the method of ME-ES has been developed to fabricate hierarchical nanofibers

Bright fluorescent silica-nanoparticle probes for high-resolution STED and confocal microscopy

• Isabella Tavernaro,
• Christian Cavelius,
• Henrike Peuschel and
• Annette Kraegeloh

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1283–1296, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.130

• fluorescence silica nanoparticles [36][37][38]. One of the most outstanding methods was developed by Wiesner et al., who designed new small fluorescent core–shell silica nanoparticles [39][40][41]. These so called “Cornell dots” (C-dots) have recently been approved as an "investigational new drug" (IND) by the

• nanoparticles (FD25_Atto647N): The synthesis of 25 nm large Atto647N dyed silica particles was realised analogous to the procedure described above. Only the temperature of the heating process was changed to 60 °C. Synthesis of fluorescent silica core–shell particles using multiple regrowth steps (FD45; FD60 and

Characterization of ferrite nanoparticles for preparation of biocomposites

• Urszula Klekotka,
• Magdalena Rogowska,
• Dariusz Satuła and
• Beata Kalska-Szostko

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1257–1265, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.127

• papers, where core–shell ferrite nanoparticles were tested in similar manner [15][16]. Results and Discussion Characterization of ferrite nanoparticles Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) Each type of ferrite nanoparticle studied was imaged by TEM. The resulting pictures are collected in Figure 1. The

Evaluation of quantum dot conjugated antibodies for immunofluorescent labelling of cellular targets

• Jennifer E. Francis,
• David Mason and
• Raphaël Lévy

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1238–1249, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.125

• equipment. We would also like to thank Dr Sumaira Ashraf for acquiring the TEM images of core/shell Qdot 625, Dr Mark Wilkinson for performing SEC-HPLC of Qdot 625-Ab, and Dr James Boyd for advice on FCS measurements of Qdot 625-Ab; all from University of Liverpool. The epifluorescence microscope used in

Synthesis of graphene–transition metal oxide hybrid nanoparticles and their application in various fields

• Arpita Jana,
• Elke Scheer and
• Sebastian Polarz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 688–714, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.74

• @Fe2O3 core–shell NP–graphene hybrids which show good reversible lithium storage [160]. Another core–shell hollow nanomaterial, a γ-Fe2O3@graphene hybrid, was prepared through the Kirkendall process by Hu et al. and showed high performance as an anode material for LIBs [161]. The improved performance of

• the oxygen functional group of GO, leading to the formation of Zn–O–C bonds. During the reaction, sections of graphene detach from the GO through a layer-by-layer chemical peel-off process (chemical exfoliation) and partially encircle the ZnO NPs. The quasi-core–shell structure of the hybrid was

Gas sensing properties of MWCNT layers electrochemically decorated with Au and Pd nanoparticles

• Elena Dilonardo,
• Michele Penza,
• Marco Alvisi,
• Riccardo Rossi,
• Gennaro Cassano,
• Cinzia Di Franco,
• Francesco Palmisano,
• Luisa Torsi and
• Nicola Cioffi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 592–603, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.64

• detection in environmental monitoring. TEM images of electrochemically synthesized core–shell A) Au NPs and B) Pd NPs. Schematic view of the two-pole chemiresistor based on a MWCNT network functionalized with metal NPs. XPS core level spectrum of A) Au 4f and B) Pd 3d on functionalized MWCNTs. SEM images of

Modeling of the growth of GaAs–AlGaAs core–shell nanowires

• Qian Zhang,
• Peter W. Voorhees and
• Stephen H. Davis

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 506–513, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.54

• 60208-3030, USA 10.3762/bjnano.8.54 Abstract Heterostructured GaAs–AlGaAs core–shell nanowires with have attracted much attention because of their significant advantages and great potential for creating high performance nanophotonics and nanoelectronics. The spontaneous formation of Al-rich stripes

• along certain crystallographic directions and quantum dots near the apexes of the shell are observed in AlGaAs shells. Controlling the formation of these core–shell heterostructures remains challenging. A two-dimensional model valid on the wire cross section, that accounts for capillarity in the faceted

• the attachment rate of Al atoms is smaller there. Keywords: core–shell nanowires; heterostructures; mechanisms; quantum dots; Findings Core–shell nanowires with heterostructures hold great promise in photonic and electronic applications because of their high sensitivity to electronic and magnetic

Self-assembly of silicon nanowires studied by advanced transmission electron microscopy

• Marta Agati,
• Guillaume Amiard,
• Vincent Le Borgne,
• Paola Castrucci,
• Richard Dolbec,
• Maurizio De Crescenzi,
• My Alì El Khakani and
• Simona Boninelli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 440–445, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.47

• of silicon nanowires (SiNWs) that were self-assembled during an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) process. The ICP-synthesized SiNWs were found to present a Si–SiO2 core–shell structure and length varying from ≈100 nm to 2–3 μm. The shorter SiNWs (maximum length ≈300 nm) were generally found to

• . Energy-filtered TEM (EFTEM) images, acquired in correspondence to the Si plasmon loss (17 eV) and SiO2 plasmon loss (23 eV), display a common core–shell Si–SiO2 internal structure for both the NSs and the NWs (see Figure 1b and Figure 1c). Further EFTEM investigations conducted on hundreds of NWs

• Visualiser Kai software was used for visualization. (a) Typical SEM image showing the morphology of the as-collected sample; EFTEM images obtained at (b) the Si plasmon loss (17 eV) and (c) the SiO2 plasmon loss (23 eV), revealing the Si–SiO2 core–shell structure and the structural continuity between the Si

Methods for preparing polymer-decorated single exchange-biased magnetic nanoparticles for application in flexible polymer-based films

• Laurence Ourry,
• Delphine Toulemon,
• Souad Ammar and
• Fayna Mammeri

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 408–417, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.43

• for technological applications is of primary importance. Results: In this work, well-characterized exchange-biased perfectly epitaxial CoxFe3−xO4@CoO core@shell NPs, which were isotropic in shape and of about 10 nm in diameter, were decorated by two different polymers, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA

• magnetic NPs to decrease interparticle interactions, particularly dipolar ones [7][8]. The general strategy for such a purpose consists of forming core–shell hybrid structures in which the shell consists of a corona of polymer chains grafted onto the inorganic NP surface. Among the available polymer

• C 1s peak prior to functionalization indicates that organic residues (polyol and acetate molecules) are present at the core–shell NP surface. The Co 2p and Fe 2p peaks are much weaker after polymerization due the presence of a significant polymer coating. The decomposition of the C 1s peak for

Functionalized TiO₂ nanoparticles by single-step hydrothermal synthesis: the role of the silane coupling agents

• Antoine R. M. Dalod,
• Lars Henriksen,
• Tor Grande and
• Mari-Ann Einarsrud

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 304–312, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.33

• route was demonstrated, and by selecting the type of silane coupling agent the surface properties of the TiO2 nanoparticles could be tailored. This synthesis route has been further developed into a two-step synthesis to TiO2–SiO2 core–shell nanoparticles. Combustion of the silane coupling agents up to

• 700 °C leads to the formation of a nanometric amorphous SiO2 layer, preventing growth and phase transition of the in situ functionalized nanoparticles. Keywords: core–shell nanoparticles; functionalized nanoparticles; hydrothermal synthesis; oriented attachment; silane coupling agent; Introduction

• , surface coverage, and hydrophobicity. Tuning the surface properties of the nanoparticles for different applications by selecting the silane coupling agent is discussed. We further report the effect of heat treatment of the nanoparticles for the formation of core–shell TiO2–SiO2 nanoparticles. Experimental

Phosphorus-doped silicon nanorod anodes for high power lithium-ion batteries

• Chao Yan,
• Qianru Liu,
• Jianzhi Gao,
• Zhibo Yang and
• Deyan He

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 222–228, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.24

• the shell and the particles, allowing for the expansion of Si without deforming the carbon shell. Such an anode shows a capacity retention of 74% after 1000 cycles at a rate of C/10 [9]. Yang et al. fabricated a Si-based anode with a core–shell–shell heterostructure of Si nanoparticles as the core

• Figure 1b, it can be seen that the Si layer was totally amorphous. The structural information of the obtained Si anode was further identified by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Figure 2a clearly shows that the Si was conformally coated on the CuO nanorods, resulting in a core–shell nanorod

• electrochemical performance of the obtained Si anode could be ascribed to the following factors. First, the transport paths for electrons and Li ions were significantly shortened in the nanorod core–shell-structured electrode. Then, the transport velocity for electrons and Li ions was enhanced by the phosphorus

Nanocrystalline TiO₂/SnO₂ heterostructures for gas sensing

• Barbara Lyson-Sypien,
• Anna Kusior,
• Mieczylaw Rekas,
• Jan Zukrowski,
• Marta Gajewska,
• Katarzyna Michalow-Mauke,
• Thomas Graule,
• Marta Radecka and
• Katarzyna Zakrzewska

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 108–122, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.12

• as core–shell particles. Table 1 presents some of the examples of the latest papers dealing with TiO2–SnO2 materials for the detection of different gases. The performance of a resistive-type gas sensor is inherently related to the form and number of oxygen species adsorbed at the surface of the

From iron coordination compounds to metal oxide nanoparticles

• Mihail Iacob,
• Carmen Racles,
• Codrin Tugui,
• George Stiubianu,
• Adrian Bele,
• Liviu Sacarescu,
• Daniel Timpu and
• Maria Cazacu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 2074–2087, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.198

• appear as core–shell type materials, where the core has a higher contrast (indicating the presence of metal), and the shell has a lower contrast, characteristic for organic compounds (in this case, the stabilizer). In Figure 3a–c the TEM images are shown and the histograms of the distribution by diameter

•  3d). The core–shell morphology is visible in Figure 3c, with an inorganic core covered by the surfactant. Nanoparticle samples (NPT4) were obtained starting from a FeAc2 ([Fe3O(CH3COO)6(H2O)3]NO3∙4H2O) cluster. TEM observations (Figure 4) revealed particles in the form of spheres with hair-like

Organoclay hybrid materials as precursors of porous ZnO/silica-clay heterostructures for photocatalytic applications

• Marwa Akkari,
• Pilar Aranda,
• Abdessalem Ben Haj Amara and
• Eduardo Ruiz-Hitzky

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1971–1982, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.188

• may remain assembled to ZnO particles, perhaps organized even as core–shell structures (Figure 4C). EDX analysis of ZnO/silica-clay heterostructures shows the presence of Zn in a significant amount with respect to the Si content in all the samples. However, it is complicated to estimate the precise

Diameter-driven crossover in resistive behaviour of heavily doped self-seeded germanium nanowires

• Stephen Connaughton,
• Maria Koleśnik-Gray,
• Richard Hobbs,
• Olan Lotty,
• Justin D. Holmes and
• Vojislav Krstić

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1284–1288, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.119

• ]. To describe our findings, we first recall that in self-seeded Ge NWs the majority charge carriers are free holes whose concentration depends on the number of charge traps at the NW core/shell interface [11][18]. In particular, for larger diameter NWs those free holes will be predominantly located in

• coordinates [20][21] and for simplicity assuming a constant free-hole concentration nh. One finds the expression [22] where Φ0 is the electrostatic potential at the core/shell interface, ε0 is the vacuum permittivity, εr the dielectric constant of germanium, and e the elementary charge. The confinement of

• free holes into the space-charge region close to the NW surface only, however, cannot remain for all diameters. The available volume for the free holes and the number of charge-traps at the core/shell interface scale with NW diameter. Therefore, with decreasing diameter the holes will extend further

Mesoporous hollow carbon spheres for lithium–sulfur batteries: distribution of sulfur and electrochemical performance

• Anika C. Juhl,
• Artur Schneider,
• Boris Ufer,
• Torsten Brezesinski,
• Jürgen Janek and
• Michael Fröba

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1229–1240, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.114

• mg·cm−2 was investigated. Results and Discussion Silica template and hollow carbon spheres Hollow carbon spheres with a mesoporous shell were obtained by impregnation of silica spheres with a core–shell structure with phenol and formaldehyde (first step in Figure 1). Carbonization under inert atmosphere

• [35]. In the second step a mesoporous shell was grown on the spheres by employing tetraethyl orthosilicate in presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as a structure-directing agent. Combustion of CTAB in air generated the core–shell silica spheres. The diameter of the solid core was

• determined to be 380 nm by dynamic light scattering, while the diameter of the core–shell particles was about 515 nm. From SEM images (Figure S1 in Supporting Information File 1) a diameter of about 490 nm was determined for the core–shell spheres. Further characterization of the SCMS silica can be found in