Selective detection of complex gas mixtures using point contacts: concept, method and tools

• Alexander P. Pospelov,
• Victor I. Belan,
• Dmytro O. Harbuz,
• Volodymyr L. Vakula,
• Lyudmila V. Kamarchuk,
• Yuliya V. Volkova and
• Gennadii V. Kamarchuk

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1631–1643, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.146

• parametric and nonparametric methods [59]. Ethics The research protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board and the Ethical Committee of the State Institution "Institute for Children and Adolescents Health Care at the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine". All the patients gave their

Electrokinetic characterization of synthetic protein nanoparticles

• Daniel F. Quevedo,
• Cody J. Lentz,
• Adriana Coll de Peña,
• Yazmin Hernandez,
• Nahal Habibi,
• Rikako Miki,
• Joerg Lahann and
• Blanca H. Lapizco-Encinas

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1556–1567, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.138

• nonlinear EP mobility components are essential for the design of EK particle separation experiments. The present report is a pioneer study that considers nonlinear behavior of PNPs. This is still an evolving theory and, as such, more research regarding this topic is required as stated in three recent review

Cu₂O nanoparticles for the degradation of methyl parathion

• Juan Rizo,
• David Díaz,
• Benito Reyes-Trejo and
• M. Josefina Arellano-Jiménez

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1546–1555, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.137

• Antonio, Kleberg Advance Microscopy Center, for providing HRTEM facilities, and Dr. Geonel Rodriguez Gattorno from CINVESTAV Mérida for the XPS measurements. We also express deep appreciation to Dr. Silvia Castillo-Blum for the detailed manuscript language review. Juan Rizo greatly appreciates the

Antimicrobial metal-based nanoparticles: a review on their synthesis, types and antimicrobial action

• Matías Guerrero Correa,
• Fernanda B. Martínez,
• Cristian Patiño Vidal,
• Camilo Streitt,
• Juan Escrig and
• Carol Lopez de Dicastillo

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1450–1469, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.129

• activity can result in the development of novel antimicrobial substances. Specifically, metal-based nanoparticles have attracted much interest due to their broad effectiveness against pathogenic microorganisms due to their high surface area and high reactivity. The aim of this review was to explore the

• and understanding of the antimicrobial action of metal-based nanoparticles are key topics, several methods for evaluating in vitro antimicrobial activity and the most common antimicrobial mechanisms (e.g., cell damage and changes in the expression of metabolic genes) were discussed in this review

• . Keywords: antimicrobial mechanism; antimicrobial nanoparticles; metallic nanoparticles; nanoparticle synthesis; nosocomial infections; Review Introduction In the last decades, the search for new antimicrobial substances against microbial contamination has been the focus of many research fields, in public

On the frequency dependence of viscoelastic material characterization with intermittent-contact dynamic atomic force microscopy: avoiding mischaracterization across large frequency ranges

• Enrique A. López-Guerra and
• Santiago D. Solares

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1409–1418, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.125

• (through simulation) the behavior of the dynamic AFM observables for hypothetical materials as a function of the frequency. We find this to be particularly important, as a review of the literature (including several of our own previous works), shows that dynamic AFM characterization has been routinely

Photothermally active nanoparticles as a promising tool for eliminating bacteria and biofilms

• Mykola Borzenkov,
• Piersandro Pallavicini,
• Angelo Taglietti,
• Laura D’Alfonso,
• Maddalena Collini and
• Giuseppe Chirico

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1134–1146, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.98

• temperature increase. By using this approach new, protective, antibacterial surfaces and materials can be developed that can be remotely activated on demand. In this review, we summarize the state-of-the art regarding the application of various photothermally active nanoparticles and their corresponding

• studied. The state-of-the art in antimicrobial polymeric nanoparticles, with an emphasis on the relationship between their structure and activity, is well presented in a recent review [29]. The antibacterial properties of solid lipid nanoparticles are also a subject of specific research interest as they

• least if used under given irradiance limits, e.g., 0.32 W/cm2 at 800 nm) [2][34]. Moreover, stable and reproducible photothermal properties will bring additional advantages for efficient in situ sterilization. Therefore, in this review we focus on the application of photothermally active nanoparticles

Applications of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in drug and therapeutic delivery, and biotechnological advancements

• Maria Suciu,
• Corina M. Ionescu,
• Alexandra Ciorita,
• Septimiu C. Tripon,
• Dragos Nica,
• Hani Al-Salami and
• Lucian Barbu-Tudoran

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1092–1109, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.94

• -patient absorption and response. This review addresses potential applications of SPIONs in vitro (formulations), ex vivo (in biological cells and tissues) and in vivo (preclinical animal models), as well as potential biomedical applications in the context of drug targeting, disease treatment and

• physics and chemistry by which nanoparticles interact with each other or with other materials (didactically explained in a review by Roduner [10]). Also, a new branch of biology was formed, the study of nanoparticle interaction with biological structures, and the effects of nanoparticles on organisms and

• apoptotic [21]. This review addresses the following points: There are SPION formulations commercially available for MRI for patients, but many studies still report toxic effects of the exact same type of SPIONs in vitro and in vivo. Of course, there are also many reports of positive aspects, with no

Gas-sensing features of nanostructured tellurium thin films

• Dumitru Tsiulyanu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1010–1018, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.85

• , of these films would differ from each other and also from those observed in the microcrystalline Te-based films. In fact, this assumption, previously mentioned in our review paper [29], was confirmed by our results presented in Figure 3, which shows the normalized response kinetics to the target gas

• NO2 when in contact with microcrystalline, nanocrystalline or amorphous nanostructured Te-based films. Since that review was dedicated to exploring only the fabrication and investigation of gas-sensing properties of nanocrystalline Te films, it was only superficially mentioned that the amorphous films

Extracting viscoelastic material parameters using an atomic force microscope and static force spectroscopy

• Cameron H. Parvini,
• M. A. S. R. Saadi and
• Santiago D. Solares

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 922–937, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.77

• be more easily compared with AFM data, and last, the features of several viscoelastic models are discussed. For a detailed derivation of the Lee and Radok framework, and a review of the extension to arbitrary load history (previously presented by Lopez et al. [17]), the reader is directed to

Key for crossing the BBB with nanoparticles: the rational design

• Sonia M. Lombardo,
• Marc Schneider,
• Akif E. Türeli and
• Nazende Günday Türeli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 866–883, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.72

• (e.g., human serum albumin) [28], gold nanoparticles [29] and superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles [30]. This review aims to summarize (i) the different pathways to cross the BBB, (ii) the strategies that can be employed to increase nanoparticle BBB permeation without disrupting the BBB, as well

• as (iii) the different nanoparticle types that can be used for drug delivery across the BBB. Review Crossing the BBB Figure 3 describes multiple pathways to cross the BBB. Paracellular pathway and passive transmembrane diffusion The tight junctions between the endothelial cells severely limit the

Hexagonal boron nitride: a review of the emerging material platform for single-photon sources and the spin–photon interface

• Stefania Castelletto,
• Faraz A. Inam,
• Shin-ichiro Sato and
• Alberto Boretti

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 740–769, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.61

• , we review some recent advances in an emerging material, low-dimensional (2D, 1D, 0D) hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), which could lead to establishing such a platform. We highlight the recent achievements of the specific material for the expected applications in quantum technologies, indicating

• complementary outstanding properties compared to the other 3D bulk materials. Keywords: boron nitride; color centers; quantum applications; quantum properties; Review Introduction Point defects (impurity atoms or complex of atoms) in solids are recognized elementary units for various quantum technology

• sections of this paper, while we remind the readers of recent reviews on the other materials or emerging point defects in diamond [10][31][42][59][60][61] and SiC [7][11][62]. In this review, the material of focus is h-BN. The current progress indicates h-BN is distinguishing itself with great potential as

Luminescent gold nanoclusters for bioimaging applications

• Nonappa

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 533–546, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.42

• optoelectronic properties make them suitable for bioimaging and biosensing applications. In this review, an overview of the sensing of pathogens, and of in vitro and in vivo bioimaging using luminescent gold nanoclusters along with the limitations with selected examples are discussed. Keywords: bioimaging

• . Review Luminescent gold nanoclusters Luminescent AuNCs show high photostability and biocompatibility and are nontoxic [41]. Their size is highly precise and small compared to QDs, offering a better internalization in cells and tissues [42][43][44][45][46][47]. The presence of surface ligands allows for a

• as ionic polymers, proteins or peptides [74][75][76]. Recently, Dichiarante et al. reported NIR-luminescent AuNCs bearing superfluorinated (SF) ligands with strong emission at 1050 nm with a quantum yield of 12% [77]. An extensive account of the PL of NCs is beyond the scope of this review and has

Multilayer capsules made of weak polyelectrolytes: a review on the preparation, functionalization and applications in drug delivery

• Varsha Sharma and
• Anandhakumar Sundaramurthy

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 508–532, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.41

• a highly controllable architecture, unique stimuli responsiveness and easy tuning of the properties for intracellular delivery of cargo. This review describes the progress in the preparation, functionalization and applications of capsules made of weak polyelectrolytes or their combination with

• /biopolymer systems in applications such as therapeutics, biosensing, bioimaging, bioreactors, vaccination, tissue engineering and gene delivery. This review gives an emerging outlook on the advantages and unique responsiveness of weak polyelectrolyte based systems that can enable their widespread use in

• potential applications. Keywords: drug delivery; functionalization; multilayer capsules; synthesis; weak polyelectrolytes; Review Introduction In the last few decades, micrometer and nanometer-sized capsules made of polyelectrolytes (PEs) have been the subject of intensive research because of their

Nanoarchitectonics: bottom-up creation of functional materials and systems

• Katsuhiko Ariga

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 450–452, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.36

• that were formed by metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) [27], and the formation of high-tolerance crystalline hydrogels from cyclic dipeptides upon self-assembly [28]. In addition, a review on the use of DNA as the fundamental material building block for molecular and structural engineering [29

Interactions at the cell membrane and pathways of internalization of nano-sized materials for nanomedicine

• Valentina Francia,
• Daphne Montizaan and
• Anna Salvati

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 338–353, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.25

• better understanding of these processes can help to design smarter nanomedicines and to achieve better targeting [22]. Within this context, in this review we will summarise the current understanding of the very first steps of the interactions of nano-sized materials with cells, with a particular focus on

• description of the known endocytic pathways in cells. Review 1 Interactions of nano-sized materials at the cell surface and recognition by cell receptors 1.1 Active targeting The first steps in nanoparticle–cell interactions are those happening at the cell surface, including the adhesion of nanoparticles to

• Intracellular fate Another important aspect to consider for nanomedicine applications is the final fate of nano-sized materials following internalization. A recent review has discussed this aspect in more detail [85]. Regardless of the route of entry, many studies report that most nano-sized materials travel

Using gold nanoparticles to detect single-nucleotide polymorphisms: toward liquid biopsy

• María Sanromán Iglesias and
• Marek Grzelczak

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 263–284, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.20

• and its implementation into point-of-care devices for common use. Covering the last twenty years, this review gives an overview of the state-of-the-art of the research on the use of gold nanoparticles in the development of colorimetric biosensors for the detection of single-nucleotide polymorphism as

• seconds even at sub-picomolar concentration. Here, we review recent advancements in the development of sensors based on metallic nanoparticles for the detection of mutations in circulating tumor DNA molecules. By introducing the importance of DNA molecules as biomarkers in the field of liquid biopsy and

• by discussing current technologies in clinics, we review the performance of recent sensors for single-point mutation in which gold nanoparticles act as signal transducers. We classify the discussed sensors according to whether the underlying mechanisms of detection involve enzymatic reactions or not

Rational design of block copolymer self-assemblies in photodynamic therapy

• Maxime Demazeau,
• Laure Gibot,
• Anne-Françoise Mingotaud,
• Patricia Vicendo,
• Clément Roux and
• Barbara Lonetti

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 180–212, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.15

• therapy is a technique already used in ophthalmology or oncology. It is based on the local production of reactive oxygen species through an energy transfer from an excited photosensitizer to oxygen present in the biological tissue. This review first presents an update, mainly covering the last five years

• the importance of intracellular targeting has been addressed. Keywords: intracellular targeting; micelles; photodynamic therapy (PDT); photochemistry; polymer; self-assembly; Review Introduction After Paul Ehrlich, in 1900, had the very first notion of a drug being delivered at will to a specific

• intravenous polymer nanocarrier are biocompatibility, stealthiness, optimal size (20–200 nm), polymer/drug affinity compatible with good encapsulation and release, and a design compatible with the targeted organ [4] (this includes the possible crossing of biological barriers). The aim of this review is to

Molecular architectonics of DNA for functional nanoarchitectures

• Debasis Ghosh,
• Lakshmi P. Datta and
• Thimmaiah Govindaraju

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 124–140, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.11

• molecular architectonics enabled the creation of novel DNA nanoarchitectures with potential applications, which has been termed as templated DNA nanotechnology or functional DNA nanoarchitectonics. This review highlights the molecular architectonics-guided design principles and applications of the derived

• ; functional DNA nanoarchitectonics; functional small molecules; molecular architectonics; nucleic acids; templated coassembly; Review Introduction The development of functional molecular systems and materials on a nanoscale through custom design and engineering of molecular organization is a highly

• review, we attempted to cover the molecular architectonics of DNA, which comprises programmed self-assembly (DNA nanotechnology) and coassembly (templated DNA nanotechnology/functional DNA nanoarchitectonics) to produce diverse molecular and nanoarchitectures. The functional DNA nanoarchitectonics

Internalization mechanisms of cell-penetrating peptides

• Ivana Ruseska and
• Andreas Zimmer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 101–123, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.10

• that several CPPs are able to induce and shift between different uptake mechanisms depending on their concentration, cargo or the cell line used. This review will focus on the major internalization pathways CPPs exploit, their characteristics and regulation, as well as some of the factors that

• penetrating peptides CPPs are currently classified in several ways, depending on their individual properties. Table 1 presents a short overview of some of the most commonly used CPPs, listing their amino acid sequence and properties. In this review, only a short outlook of their classification will be given

• . Review Direct translocation through the cell membrane The direct translocation of CPPs through the cell membrane as an energy-independent mechanism and an alternative to endocytosis was suggested after internalization of CPPs was observed at low temperature [23]. As a process which requires no energy

A review of demodulation techniques for multifrequency atomic force microscopy

• David M. Harcombe,
• Michael G. Ruppert and
• Andrew J. Fleming

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 76–91, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.8

• channels. Review of Multifrequency Demodulation Methods Lock-in amplifier The multifrequency lock-in amplifier (LIA) [28][39][40][41] operates by multiplying an input signal described by Equation 2 with parallel in-phase and quadrature sinusoids tuned to frequencies the amplitude and phase of which are of

Recent progress in perovskite solar cells: the perovskite layer

• Xianfeng Dai,
• Ke Xu and
• Fanan Wei

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 51–60, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.5

• , paving the way for their commercialization. In the closing section of this review, some future critical challenges are outlined, and the prospect of commercialization of PSCs is presented. Keywords: coating techniques; perovskite layer; perovskite solar cells (PSCs); perovskite structure; photovoltaic

• technology; scalability; Review Introduction During the past decade, organic–inorganic halide perovskites (OIHP) have attracted great interest due to their special merits, including exciting optical properties, outstanding optical tunability and low-temperature solution processability. Recently, OIHPs have

• recent years, with the introduction of a variety of strategies and the application of new techniques [1][2][3][4][5][6], the power conversion efficiency (PCE) records of PSCs are constantly being beat. While writing this review article, the highest certified PCE reached 25.2% [7], which is comparable to

Synthesis of amorphous and graphitized porous nitrogen-doped carbon spheres as oxygen reduction reaction catalysts

• Maximilian Wassner,
• Markus Eckardt,
• Andreas Reyer,
• Thomas Diemant,
• Michael S. Elsaesser,
• R. Jürgen Behm and
• Nicola Hüsing

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1–15, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.1

• -synthetic heat treatment in ammonia atmosphere (see the review by Daems and co-workers [7]). The direct comparison of the N content of NCS-850 and NCS-1000 with the g-NCS-850 and g-NCS-1000 spheres reveals that substitutional N-doping of the amorphous carbon matrix is easier than that of the graphitic one

The different ways to chitosan/hyaluronic acid nanoparticles: templated vs direct complexation. Influence of particle preparation on morphology, cell uptake and silencing efficiency

• Arianna Gennari,
• Julio M. Rios de la Rosa,
• Erwin Hohn,
• Maria Pelliccia,
• Enrique Lallana,
• Roberto Donno,
• Annalisa Tirella and
• Nicola Tirelli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2594–2608, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.250

• ., liposomes [26], amphiphilic polymers [31], and gold nanoparticles [32]. We refer the reader to the excellent review of Bushell in 2002 for an extensive physico-mathematical explanation of Dm [25]. Firstly, the AF4-DLS curves (Figure 3A, left) largely overlapped. Thus, it appears that DLS alone (Figure 1

BergaCare SmartLipids: commercial lipophilic active concentrates for improved performance of dermal products

• Florence Olechowski,
• Rainer H. Müller and
• Sung Min Pyo

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2152–2162, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.208

• the production of marketable products in cosmetics and consumer care. Review What exactly are SmartLipids – definition SLN were made from typically one solid lipid only. Such lipids can form highly ordered lipid crystalline structures (β modification), which leaves little space to accommodate active

Nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond for nanoscale magnetic resonance imaging applications

• Alberto Boretti,
• Lorenzo Rosa,
• Jonathan Blackledge and
• Stefania Castelletto

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2128–2151, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.207

• diamond with unique properties for use in ultra-sensitive, high-resolution magnetometry. One of the most interesting and challenging applications is nanoscale magnetic resonance imaging (nano-MRI). While many review papers have covered other NV centers in diamond applications, there is no survey targeting

• methods, this review presents a survey of the latest advances in NV center nano-MRI. Keywords: nanodiamonds; nanoscale magnetic resonance imaging (nano-MRI); nitrogen-vacancy center; optically detected magnetic resonance; Review Introduction Spin echoes and free induction decays were first detected in

• preparation. Specifically, NV forms in both bulk and ND – this option introduces more opportunity in terms of applications, even if the ND NV magnetic sensing technology is less developed. A review of the superior properties of diamond nanomaterials and the NV centers, as well as their uses in biomedical