Straight roads into nowhere – obvious and not-so-obvious biological models for ferrophobic surfaces

• Wilfried Konrad,
• Christoph Neinhuis and
• Anita Roth-Nebelsick

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1345–1360, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.111

• furnace; Collembola; gas/liquid interfaces; interfacial effects; persistant air layers; pits; Salvinia molesta; surfaces; tuyère failure; water transport in plants; xylem; Young–Laplace equation; Introduction and Motivation The basic concept of biomimetics is the derivation of technical applications from

• persistent air layers for an extended time after immersion in water. Principally, superhydrophobic surfaces are commonly surrounded by air when immersed. However, the air body is not persistent enough for most applications and dissolves after some time, in contrast to surfaces that can be described as

• tuyère’s water cooling system and to prevent heat damage to the tuyère. Since the heat conductivity of gas layers is about five orders of magnitude lower than that of copper, gas layers trapped in structured tuyère surfaces should substantially reduce the overall heat flow into the tuyère, and its outer

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

• electric field (IEF) between the layers. This electric field allows photogenerated charge carriers to be separated and moved effectively [17][18][19][20][21]. A range of visible-light-active Bi-based photocatalysts has lately raised curiosity among semiconductor photocatalysts. Bi3+ has a higher stability

• ]. Consequently, researchers focus their attention mainly on heterojunction photocatalysts. Promising Bi-based nanomaterials The overwhelming number of Bi-based semiconductors utilized in photocatalysis also have a distinctive layered structure and a bandgap of less than 3.0 eV. The connections between the layers

• generated between layers of Bi-based materials [47]. Many researchers have revealed that Bi-based nanomaterials have an adequate photocatalytic capacity for pollution remediation, water splitting, and the elimination of volatile organic compounds. Bi-based photocatalysts have substantial oxidative

Role of titanium and organic precursors in molecular layer deposition of “titanicone” hybrid materials

• Arbresha Muriqi and
• Michael Nolan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1240–1255, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.103

• surface model and a = b = 19.228, c = 40.627 and α = β = 90°, γ = 120° for the Al2O3 surface model. The surfaces are 2, 4 and 5 layers thick for anatase (101), rutile (110) and Al2O3 (0001). Reaction energetics were calculated using: Here Ep is the energy of products and Er is the energy of reactants

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

• (e.g., DNA analysis, microorganism assays, nucleic acid detection, pharmaceutical substance detection, and gas monitoring) and also a powerful tool for chiral recognition [23][24][25]. The sensitivity and specificity of QCM-based chiral sensors largely depend on the recognition layers on the surface of

• complexes by analytes and chiral hosts in the recognition processes. Basically, the host selectors need to have chirality to ensure specific recognition of analytes. The chirality of the host layers may derive from intrinsic chiral molecules/substrates using chiral templates, chiral modifications, and

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

• nanoparticles, nanowires, and nanosheets. In the construction of devices, nanomaterial units are stacked in thin layers or blocks, and gaps are formed between the units, allowing for the formation of nanoscale networks in the stacked regions. When the nanoparticles, nanowires, or nanosheets are stacked in a non

• the solution and was moved vertically. The electrical output signal was about 60 mV and 4 μA (Figure 2a,b). Yin’s research group also studied the voltage response of graphene layers to moving droplets [34], and the variables in the experiment included the number of graphene layers, droplet size, and

• electronic devices (LEDs, LCD screens, and electronic watches), power-generating textiles, and self-powered layers for other micro- and nanoscale devices. There are already a lot of references available for these applications. MEGs can greatly reduce the weight and increase the portability compared with

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

• covered with a layer of mucin, which prevents exogenous substances from permeating to the deeper tissues. In the anterior segments of the eye, a few static barriers can be distinguished. The cornea (the corneal thickness is about 0.5 mm [39]) is covered with an epithelium layer consisting of 5–6 layers of

• epidermis layer and to form channels allowing for better drug permeation to deeper skin layers. In this way, the active ingredient may act locally or reach the capillary vessels in the dermis and enter systemic circulation [117]. A study performed by Wei-Ze et al. [140] revealed that microneedle geometry

• conventional needles, with a channel located inside and a hole at the tip. These systems can be used to deliver liquid drug formulations to deeper skin layers, depending on the length of the needles [141]. They have higher drug incorporation capacity compared to the solid and coated systems. Moreover, as they

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

• complex and their asymmetric matrix is constituted of basic components hierarchically organized into distinct structural layers at macro- and nanoscale levels. Cortical (compact) and cancellous (trabecular) bones are two kinds of bone classification based on their macrostructure. A femur is a long bone

• with a thick cortical covering which is porous and has a cancellous interior. The calvaria is a flat bone with cortical layers on the outside and a cancellous structure on the inside [28][29]. The physical behaviour of the cortical bone is mainly controlled by porosity, mineralization rate, and solid

• matrix structure (cancellous interior) [30]. Also, the mechanical properties of cancellous bones are controlled by the structural organization of the matrix [31]. The bone microstructure mainly comprises collagen threads of lamellae coiled around layers to form a 200–250 µm diameter osteon which can vary

Analytical and numerical design of a hybrid Fabry–Perot plano-concave microcavity for hexagonal boron nitride

• Felipe Ortiz-Huerta and
• Karina Garay-Palmett

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1030–1037, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.90

• λ0/4n thickness layer of hBN (n = 1.72) was positioned on top of a 15-pair layer DBR with tantalum oxide (Ta2O5) and silicon oxide (SiO2) as the high- and low-index layers, respectively, on a (HL)15 configuration to ensure an electric field antinode at the surface of the hBN layer, making the hBN

Effects of focused electron beam irradiation parameters on direct nanostructure formation on Ag surfaces

• Jānis Sniķeris,
• Vjačeslavs Gerbreders,
• Andrejs Bulanovs and
• Ēriks Sļedevskis

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1004–1010, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.87

• emitted from an area much larger than the size of EB. The size of this area and the amount and energy of emitted SE depend on several factors, including the energy, current, and angle of incidence of the EB, as well as the material and thickness of the target [20][21]. The formation of carbon layers is a

• ][25]. It should be noted that the growth rate of carbon layers under EB irradiation is also affected by the types of hydrocarbon molecules present in the vacuum chamber [26]. Normally, the deposition of carbon via focused EB irradiation is viewed as a simple addition of mass to the irradiated area

• parameters (beam current, focusing, angle of incidence, and amount of hydrocarbons) affects the growth of nanostructures on Ag surfaces undergoing irradiation by focused EB in point mode. Experimental The samples were prepared by sputtering 500 nm thick Ag layers on Si(111) substrates via direct current (DC

Interaction between honeybee mandibles and propolis

• Leonie Saccardi,
• Franz Brümmer,
• Jonas Schiebl,
• Oliver Schwarz,
• Alexander Kovalev and
• Stanislav Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 958–974, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.84

• structures on propolis bee mandibles”. Additionally, visualization of the mandible cuticle and any additional surface layers was performed using cryo-SEM on fresh fractures of untreated bee mandibles. Mandibles were tightly clamped into a metal holder and frozen in the preparation chamber (−140 °C). The

• (P < 0.0001) when the contact time of the propolis sample was increased to 60 s. Surface coating on bee mandibles To figure out possible reasons for low propolis adhesion on bee mandibles, freeze fractures of freshly prepared mandibles were studied in the cryo-SEM (Figure 8). The different layers of

Design of a biomimetic, small-scale artificial leaf surface for the study of environmental interactions

• Miriam Anna Huth,
• Axel Huth,
• Lukas Schreiber and
• Kerstin Koch

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 944–957, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.83

• wetting properties of a natural leaf surface. Keywords: recrystallization; surface properties; wax composition; wetting; wheat; Introduction Cuticle One of the largest interfaces on earth is formed by thin layers that are a few nanometers to micrometers thin, namely the wax layers of the plant cuticle

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

• and adhesion mechanisms of various CAM can be found in dedicated reviews [9][10][12][13]. Cadherins are associated with cell–cell adhesive interactions in solid tissues and are involved in processes such as embryonic development, formation of the epithelial layers of the skin and intestine, and axonal

Self-assembly of C₆₀ on a ZnTPP/Fe(001)–p(1 × 1)O substrate: observation of a quasi-freestanding C₆₀ monolayer

• Guglielmo Albani,
• Michele Capra,
• Alessandro Lodesani,
• Alberto Calloni,
• Gianlorenzo Bussetti,
• Marco Finazzi,
• Franco Ciccacci,
• Alberto Brambilla,
• Lamberto Duò and
• Andrea Picone

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 857–864, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.76

• compact molecular film is crucial to obtain high-performance devices, since an efficient charge carrier transport is hindered by morphological defects, such as grain boundaries or pinholes [10][11]. Moreover, crystalline and well-ordered layers are particularly suitable for spatially averaging

• [12]. Annealing the substrate during the film deposition could promote the growth of ordered layers even for high Ed values (Ed > kBT, with T = 300 K), but often the high annealing temperature required promotes the modification of the molecules or even their decomposition [13][14]. Another important

• electronic gap equal to 3.75 eV. Finally, work function measurements have been performed to evaluate the charge transfer between the different layers constituting the heterostructure. Generally, electron transfer from the substrate (overlayer) to the overlayer (substrate) induces an increase (decrease) of

Ultrafast signatures of magnetic inhomogeneity in Pd_1−xFe_x (x ≤ 0.08) epitaxial thin films

• Andrey V. Petrov,
• Sergey I. Nikitin,
• Lenar R. Tagirov,
• Amir I. Gumarov,
• Igor V. Yanilkin and
• Roman V. Yusupov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 836–844, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.74

• ]. Superconducting spintronics is a branch of superconducting electronics, the key components of which are thin-film magnetic Josephson junctions (MJJs), which include layers of superconductors (S), ferromagnets (F) and insulators (I) [1][2][3][14][15]. The use of MJJs considerably reduces the energy consumption

• beam epitaxy (MBE). The films were 20 nm thick, continuous, and smooth monocrystalline layers. The MBE equipment provided uniformity of the film thickness within 3% on the 1″ lateral size. The film composition x was measured in situ using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (all from SPECS, Berlin) with a

Hierachical epicuticular wax coverage on leaves of Deschampsia antarctica as a possible adaptation to severe environmental conditions

• Elena V. Gorb,
• Iryna A. Kozeretska and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 807–816, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.71

• outer glume were wax-free, both leaf sides had a prominent epicuticular wax coverage consisting of two superimposed layers: polygonal rodlets formed by fused irregular platelets (the lower wax layer) and membraneous platelets (the upper wax layer). Although the adaxial (inner) and abaxial (outer) leaf

• sample preparation for conventional scanning electron microscopy. This method provided qualitatively new information about the superficial layers on vegetative organs studied in this plant species. Based on the obtained results and literature data, we discuss a possible role of the complex, hierarchical

• /damaged, another layer of projections called here the lower (inner) wax layer became exposed (Figure 2f). The fractured samples clearly show the hierarchical organization of the wax coverage on both leaf lamina sides, which is composed of the two superimposed layers of wax projections (Figure 3a,b,d

Optimizing PMMA solutions to suppress contamination in the transfer of CVD graphene for batch production

• Chun-Da Liao,
• Andrea Capasso,
• Tiago Queirós,
• Telma Domingues,
• Fatima Cerqueira,
• Nicoleta Nicoara,
• Jérôme Borme,
• Paulo Freitas and
• Pedro Alpuim

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 796–806, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.70

• breakage is crucial, considering that PMMA solutions with higher weight percentage (wt %) are usually preferred as they form thicker supporting layers by spin coating: Such layers are mechanically more robust, yet leave behind significant residues [20]. Annealing processes (usually 200–450 °C, under an

• crystallite area (smaller error bars). Few-layer crystals transferred with B2 are analyzed in Supporting Information File 1, Figure S3. The graphene crystal in Supporting Information File 1, Figure S3a,b is composed of four layers having a thickness of 0.4–0.5 nm (Supporting Information File 1, Figure S3c

Hierarchical Bi₂WO₆/TiO₂-nanotube composites derived from natural cellulose for visible-light photocatalytic treatment of pollutants

• Zehao Lin,
• Zhan Yang and
• Jianguo Huang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 745–762, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.66

• obtained from the Milli-Q Advantage A 10 system (Millipore, Bedford, MA, USA), displaying a resistivity of 18.2 MΩ·cm. Preparation of Bi2WO6/TiO2-NT nanocomposites The fabrication process of cellulose-derived Bi2WO6/TiO2-NT nanocomposites is exhibited in Figure 1. Ten layers of ultrathin titania film were

A nonenzymatic reduced graphene oxide-based nanosensor for parathion

• Sarani Sen,
• Anurag Roy,
• Ambarish Sanyal and
• Parukuttyamma Sujatha Devi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 730–744, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.65

• lattice), and 2700 cm−1 for the 2D band (related to numbers of layers in the graphene sheet). Table 1 shows the values of ID/IG at different electrolytic buffers during one-step electroreduction of GO at a constant potential of −0.9 V. The intensity of ID/IG predominantly increased for ERGO compared to

• the electrolytic buffer during electrochemical reduction of GO. The highest value of ID/IG was found to be 1.454 for the conversion of ERGO using PBS (pH 4.5), which suggests the formation of higher defects between the graphene layers during electrochemical reduction [26][34]. Thus, 50 mM PBS, pH 4.5

• platelets of graphene sheets with varying transparencies due to thickness variation [26][31]. Dark areas of the micrograph suggest thick stacking layers of GO and/or RGO with intercalated oxygen-containing functional groups. A few layers of graphene sheet in ERGO (in PBS, pH 4.5) have areas with higher

Experimental and theoretical study of field-dependent spin splitting at ferromagnetic insulator–superconductor interfaces

• Peter Machon,
• Michael J. Wolf,
• Detlef Beckmann and
• Wolfgang Belzig

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 682–688, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.60

• -consistent Δ. For very thin layers (ε’ = 100) the peaks (initially at Δ) symmetrically split into their spin components. This behavior is also is similar to the Zeeman splitting in an applied field, as already measured, for example, in [41]. However, with decreasing ε’, the superconductivity persists for

Reliable fabrication of transparent conducting films by cascade centrifugation and Langmuir–Blodgett deposition of electrochemically exfoliated graphene

• Teodora Vićentić,
• Stevan Andrić,
• Vladimir Rajić and
• Marko Spasenović

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 666–674, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.58

• the range of 1–10 layers, in a range of different liquids, at a wide range of concentrations [13][14]. The mechanism of ultrasonic exfoliation involves ultrasonic waves in liquid media creating bubbles or voids in the liquid, which generate shear forces or cavitation bubbles upon collapsing, which

• (DMEU), and ortho-dichlorobenzene (o-DCB) [12][17][18]. Exfoliation in NMP has led to minimally oxidized graphene sheets with approximately 28% monolayer flakes, and more than 75% of sheets with a thickness of less than six layers [12]. An alternative to LPE that has subsequently been developed is

• electrochemical exfoliation, whereby graphene is exfoliated in an electrolyte from an electrode made of graphite [19]. In electrochemical exfoliation, ions from the electrolyte flow towards the graphite electrode and intercalate between the graphene layers. The electrochemical reaction provides a driving force to

Fabrication and testing of polymer microneedles for transdermal drug delivery

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

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

• , hence improving overall insertion safety. For the MN insertion to be mechanically safe, the safety margin (SM), which is the ratio of failure force to insertion force, should be maximized and greater than unity (SM > 1) [22]. MNs must penetrate deep enough into the skin layers to enable an effective

• adjust settings such as slicing, shell and scaffolding, laser power, and scanning speeds before converting to General Writing Language (GWL) codes. Parameters such as slicing distance of 2 µm, multiple base slide counts of 4 layers, shell and scaffolding filling method, null shear angle (0°), and laser

• simulation model was performed using ANSYS (2020 R1, ANSYS, Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, USA) Explicit Dynamics. The skin was assumed to be comprised of three layers (1) stratum corneum, (2) dermis, and (3) hypodermis with 26 μm, 2 mm, and 1.1 mm thicknesses, respectively. An Ogden (first-order) model [32] was

Sodium doping in brookite TiO₂ enhances its photocatalytic activity

• Boxiang Zhuang,
• Honglong Shi,
• Honglei Zhang and
• Zeqian Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 599–609, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.52

• lattice-plane indices Two octahedron layers spacing ≈3.7433 Å share corners to construct the brookite structure, as depicted in the inset of Figure 5b. The core–shell structure, defects, and twins in the brookite Considering the differences in the ionic radius and the electronegativity between Na and Ti

Revealing local structural properties of an atomically thin MoSe₂ surface using optical microscopy

• Lin Pan,
• Peng Miao,
• Anke Horneber,
• Alfred J. Meixner,
• Pierre-Michel Adam and
• Dai Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 572–581, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.49

• triangular flakes on top of the underlying large flake, which appear dark in the SHG image in Figure 1d. The decreased SHG intensity at increasing layer thickness indicates a mirrored orientation of neighboring layers in the MoSe2 flake, which is typical for hexagonal 2H-phase MoSe2 [28][29]. Figure 1e shows

Influence of thickness and morphology of MoS₂ on the performance of counter electrodes in dye-sensitized solar cells

• Lam Thuy Thi Mai,
• Hai Viet Le,
• Ngan Kim Thi Nguyen,
• Van La Tran Pham,
• Thu Anh Thi Nguyen,
• Nguyen Thanh Le Huynh and
• Hoang Thai Nguyen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 528–537, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.44

• photoanodes, the cleaned FTO electrodes were first pretreated by immersion in a 40 mM TiCl4 solution at 70 °C for 30 min and rinsed with distilled water and ethanol. The treated FTO electrodes were then successively coated with a transparent 18NR-T titania paste (three layers) and an active opaque 18NR-AO

Ciprofloxacin-loaded dissolving polymeric microneedles as a potential therapeutic for the treatment of S. aureus skin infections

• Sharif Abdelghany,
• Walhan Alshaer,
• Yazan Al Thaher,
• Maram Al Fawares,
• Amal G. Al-Bakri,
• Saja Zuriekat and
• Randa SH. Mansour

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 517–527, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.43

• CIP_MN1 was investigated in ex vivo excised human skin. CIP_MN1 showed significantly more deposition of ciprofloxacin in deeper skin layers compared to the free gel of ciprofloxacin, and the released ciprofloxacin from the microneedles tends to migrate to deeper layers with time. Collectively, these

• sizes have been utilized to overcome this limitation since they can painlessly penetrate the upper skin layers [2]. Patients can self-administer microneedles and, thus, overcome the pain associated with conventional parenteral injections. Moreover, this drug delivery system can potentially overcome the

• techniques. These microneedles are manufactured of polymers incorporated with medicaments and are intended to dissolve completely in the skin, permitting the medicament to be distributed in deeper skin layers to treat local and systemic infections [5]. Previous studies have shown the advantages of dissolving