Effective intercalation of zein into Na-montmorillonite: role of the protein components and use of the developed biointerfaces

• Ana C. S. Alcântara,
• Margarita Darder,
• Pilar Aranda and
• Eduardo Ruiz-Hitzky

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1772–1782, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.170

• into the hydrophilic interlayer space of sodium-exchanged montmorillonite. In addition to physicochemical characterization of the resulting materials, these biohybrid interfaces were also evaluated as biofillers in the preparation of diverse ecofriendly nanocomposites. Keywords: biohybrids

• flexibility and stretchability of the biopolymer matrix. In the bionanocomposite films, a reduced mobility of the zein and starch chains after incorporation of the biofiller can take place, as observed in other clay-reinforced polymer nanocomposites [39]. Although this preliminary study would require

Properties of Ni and Ni–Fe nanowires electrochemically deposited into a porous alumina template

• Alla I. Vorobjova,
• Dmitry L. Shimanovich,
• Kazimir I. Yanushkevich,
• Sergej L. Prischepa and
• Elena A. Outkina

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1709–1717, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.163

• heights is presented. The structural properties of PA/Ni and PA/Ni–Fe NWs, as well as the temperature dependence of the specific magnetization of these nanocomposites are investigated and discussed. Experimental Preparation of porous alumina template The preparation technique and the thickness of the PA

• electronically measuring galvanostatic/potentiostatic power supply P-5827M (potentiostat). The morphology of PA/Ni and PA/Ni–Fe nanocomposites formed with different alumina template thicknesses and deposition durations was studied by scanning electron microscopy (Philips XL 30 S FEG). The crystal structure of

Role of RGO support and irradiation source on the photocatalytic activity of CdS–ZnO semiconductor nanostructures

• Suneel Kumar,
• Rahul Sharma,
• Vipul Sharma,
• Gurunarayanan Harith,
• Vaidyanathan Sivakumar and
• Venkata Krishnan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1684–1697, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.161

• with other semiconductor materials to form nanocomposites, they turn out be an efficient photocatalyst [25]. Recently, there have been few reports available in literature on CdS–ZnO coupled photocatalytic systems with enhanced activity [26]. On illumination of light, charge transfer takes place from

• conductivity (5000 W·m−1·K−1) [30]. Its optical transmittance is about 97.7% and possesses superior electron mobility (200000 cm2·V−1·s−1), which makes it an ideal material for photocatalyst support [31]. Several semiconductor nanocomposites supported on graphene have been used as photocatalysts for the

• nanocomposites has not been fully explored. Furthermore, the photocatalytic activity is also influenced by the irradiation source. With regard to this, we focused our studies on determining the role of the RGO support and the irradiation source on the photocatalytic activity of CdS–ZnO semiconductor

An efficient recyclable magnetic material for the selective removal of organic pollutants

• Clément Monteil,
• Nathalie Bar,
• Agnès Bee and
• Didier Villemin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1447–1453, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.136

• studied [7][8]. At the same time, the emergence of nanotechnologies has led to a new generation of organic/inorganic nanocomposites with embedded magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) [9][10][11][12][13]. The application of a simple magnetic field is sufficient to collect them, which fosters the development of low

Fracture behaviors of pre-cracked monolayer molybdenum disulfide: A molecular dynamics study

• Qi-lin Xiong,
• Zhen-huan Li and
• Xiao-geng Tian

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1411–1420, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.132

• probe tips, high strength nanocomposites and nanostructures, mechanical devices, and electronics [5][6]. In order to develop MoS2-based nanocomposites and nanostructures with improved their performance, further fundamental and applied research on MoS2 is essential [7]. Since the desired applications

• including high strength nanocomposites and nanostructures require MoS2 to undergo the mechanical loadings such as tension, a thorough understanding of the mechanical behavior of MoS2 under mechanical loading is essential for its applications in nanocomposites and nanostructures. The mechanical properties of

Fabrication and characterization of branched carbon nanostructures

• Sharali Malik,
• Yoshihiro Nemoto,
• Hongxuan Guo,
• Katsuhiko Ariga and
• Jonathan P. Hill

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1260–1266, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.116

• efficient nanocomposites: a) inhomogeneous dispersion of the filler [10] and (b) insufficient strength of the interphase between the filler and the matrix [11]. However, these issues can be addressed by utilizing branched multiwalled carbon nanotubes (b-MWCNTs). It is known from theory and simulation

Reasons and remedies for the agglomeration of multilayered graphene and carbon nanotubes in polymers

• Rasheed Atif and
• Fawad Inam

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1174–1196, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.109

• Rasheed Atif Fawad Inam Northumbria University, Faculty of Engineering and Environment, Department of Mechanical and Construction Engineering, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, United Kingdom 10.3762/bjnano.7.109 Abstract One of the main issues in the production of polymer nanocomposites is the

• for both current and prospective researchers in the field of MLG- and CNT-based polymer nanocomposites to achieve maximum enhancement in mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of produced polymer nanocomposites. Keywords: agglomeration; carbon nanotubes (CNTs); dispersion state; multilayered

• graphene (MLG); polymer nanocomposites; Introduction It has been well known for about hundred years that the addition of nano-fillers to polymers, polymer glasses, and semicrystalline polymers can remarkably improve the performance of polymers [1]. The important structural characteristics of nano-fillers

High antiviral effect of TiO₂·PL–DNA nanocomposites targeted to conservative regions of (−)RNA and (+)RNA of influenza A virus in cell culture

• Asya S. Levina,
• Marina N. Repkova,
• Elena V. Bessudnova,
• Ekaterina I. Filippova,
• Natalia A. Mazurkova and
• Valentina F. Zarytova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1166–1173, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.108

• TiO2·PL–DNA nanocomposite consisting of titanium dioxide nanoparticles and polylysine (PL)-containing oligonucleotides. Results: The TiO2·PL–DNA nanocomposites bearing the DNA fragments targeted to different conservative regions of (−)RNA and (+)RNA of segment 5 of influenza A virus (IAV) were studied

• the most efficient and inhibited the reproduction of different IAV subtypes by 3–4 orders of magnitude. Although to a lesser extent, the DNA fragments targeted at the AUG region of (+)RNA and the corresponding region of (−)RNA were also active. For all studied viral subtypes, the nanocomposites

• bearing the DNA fragments targeted to (−)RNA appeared to be more efficient than those containing fragments aimed at the corresponding (+)RNA regions. Conclusion: The proposed TiO2·PL–DNA nanocomposites can be successfully used for highly efficient and site-specific inhibition of influenza A virus of

Manufacturing and investigation of physical properties of polyacrylonitrile nanofibre composites with SiO₂, TiO₂ and Bi₂O₃ nanoparticles

• Tomasz Tański,
• Wiktor Matysiak and
• Barbara Hajduk

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1141–1155, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.106

• development of materials from the group of polymer nanocomposites (PNCs), which are a combination of a polymer matrix with inorganic or hybrid nanoparticles. For the currently used types of inorganic fillers, inter alia, the following are included: SiO2 [1], metal oxides (TiO2, Al2O3, Bi2O3, Zn0, CaCO3) [2][3

• ][4][5][6], metals (Au, Ag, Al, Fe) [7][8][9], SiC [10] and clays (saponite, montmorillonite, hectorite) [11][12][13]. In nanocomposites, which use inorganic materials at the nano-scale as reinforcement, there is a significant enhancement of properties with a much lower fraction of the reinforcing

• characterised by numerous structural defects, usually occurring on their surface (Figure 5). In addition, with an increase in the concentration of the used reinforcing phases in the produced nanocomposites an increase of defects and an increased heterogeneity of the fibre morphology was identified. X-ray

Voltammetric determination of polyphenolic content in pomegranate juice using a poly(gallic acid)/multiwalled carbon nanotube modified electrode

• Refat Abdel-Hamid and
• Emad F. Newair

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1104–1112, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.103

• rectangular indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass slide (resistivity of 8–12 Ω/□) was examined using SEM (Figure 1). The film is deposited on the ITO with the same experimental conditions as for the GCE. As shown, the nanocomposite has a short, tubular topology with a smooth surface. The nanocomposites are

Photocurrent generation in carbon nanotube/cubic-phase HfO₂ nanoparticle hybrid nanocomposites

• Protima Rauwel,
• Augustinas Galeckas,
• Martin Salumaa,
• Frédérique Ducroquet and
• Erwan Rauwel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1075–1085, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.101

• electronic structure of the C K-edge in the nanocomposites was probed by electron energy loss spectroscopy, highlighting the key role of the MWCNT growth defects in anchoring HfO2 NPs. A combined optical emission and absorption spectroscopy approach illustrated that, in contrast to HfO2 NPs, the metallic

• photoluminescence of the nanocomposites indicates features attributed to combined effects of charge desaturation of HfO2 surface states and charge transfer to the MWCNTs with an overall reduction of radiative recombination. Finally, photocurrent generation under UV–vis illumination suggests that a HfO2 NP/MWCNT

• components for the development of new applications in the field of nanotechnology. It is well known that by combining different classes of materials, one can obtain nanocomposites exhibiting properties of the individual materials along with new characteristics as a result of hybridization. For instance, the

Sandwich-like layer-by-layer assembly of gold nanoparticles with tunable SERS properties

• Zhicheng Liu,
• Lu Bai,
• Guizhe Zhao and
• Yaqing Liu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1028–1032, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.95

• Zhicheng Liu Lu Bai Guizhe Zhao Yaqing Liu Shanxi Province Key Laboratory of Functional Nanocomposites, School of Materials Science and Engineering, North University of China, Taiyuan 030051, China School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, North University of China, Taiyuan 030051, China

The influence of phthalocyanine aggregation in complexes with CdSe/ZnS quantum dots on the photophysical properties of the complexes

• Irina V. Martynenko,
• Anna O. Orlova,
• Vladimir G. Maslov,
• Anatoly V. Fedorov,
• Kevin Berwick and
• Alexander V. Baranov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1018–1027, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.94

• ][21]. This statement was recently supported by the Nyokong group [22] where FRET efficiencies up to 93% were predicted in nanocomposites based on glutathione-capped CdTe/CdS/ZnS QDs covalently linked with aluminium sulfonated phthalocyanine. However, analysis of donor PL quenching and acceptor PL

Development of highly faceted reduced graphene oxide-coated copper oxide and copper nanoparticles on a copper foil surface

• Rebeca Ortega-Amaya,
• Yasuhiro Matsumoto,
• Andrés M. Espinoza-Rivas,
• Manuel A. Pérez-Guzmán and
• Mauricio Ortega-López

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1010–1017, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.93

• ; copper(II) oxide; core–shell; reduced graphene oxide; Introduction In the last years, graphene oxide (GO) and reduced graphene oxide (rGO) have emerged as suitable candidates to prepare graphene-based nanocomposites [1][2], including those based on GO/inorganic nanoparticles [3]. The opportunity to

• combine GO with inorganic nanoparticles has led to nanocomposites with multiple functionalities [4][5]. Because of this, nanocomposites based on GO/inorganic nanoparticles are currently of interest for applications in biomedicine, energy production, electronics and environmental remediation [6][7][8]. A

Direct formation of gold nanorods on surfaces using polymer-immobilised gold seeds

• Majid K. Abyaneh,
• Pietro Parisse and
• Loredana Casalis

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 809–816, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.72

• techniques such as AFM and SEM have been used to support concept of the proposed growth method. Keywords: atomic force microscopy (AFM); direct surface growth; gold nanorods; nanocomposites; poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA); Introduction Gold nanorods (GNRs) are among the most interesting noble metal one

• well as the size of the nanoparticles in polymer matrix [30]. The formation of metal–polymer nanocomposites by UV irradiation is a complex process and it was considered to be important to investigate the effect of irradiation time, polymer species as well as the molecular weight of the polymer on the

• by UV irradiation suggest that the role of polymer Mw in the formation of nanoparticles cannot be ignored. Hence, we have fabricated Au–PMMA nanocomposites using UV photoreduction for two different selected Mw of PMMA. The formation of gold nanoparticles in PMMA matrices with low and high Mw with 20

Fabrication and properties of luminescence polymer composites with erbium/ytterbium oxides and gold nanoparticles

• Julia A. Burunkova,
• Ihor Yu. Denisiuk,
• Dmitri I. Zhuk,
• Lajos Daroczi,
• Attila Csik,
• István Csarnovics and
• Sándor Kokenyesi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 630–636, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.55

• ; polymer nanocomposites; rare-earth oxide nanoparticles; Introduction Rare-earth (RE) ions are widely investigated and applied, e.g., in photonics, as active materials for optical amplification or as biomarkers. Er-doped materials are important for light sources in optoelectronics, especially for the

• ]. Planar waveguide amplifiers on the basis of Er-containing nanocomposites are actively investigated as well (see for example [2], where a PMMA-based, Yb2O3/Er2O3-containing polymer nanocomposite waveguide optical amplifier was demonstrated). This material ensures the functioning of the amplifier with an

• macroscopic elements. At the same time one of the main disadvantages of nanocomposites is the high level of light scattering, which can be caused by agglomeration of nanoparticles. So the development of low-scattering, transparent nanocomposites is an important challenge nowadays. The method of thermal

Surface coating affects behavior of metallic nanoparticles in a biological environment

• Darija Domazet Jurašin,
• Marija Ćurlin,
• Ivona Capjak,
• Tea Crnković,
• Marija Lovrić,
• Michal Babič,
• Daniel Horák,
• Ivana Vinković Vrček and
• Srećko Gajović

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 246–262, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.23

• PLLAgNPs and PVPAgNPs changed in BlPl, but remained unchanged in WhBl (Figure 8). The BSAAgNPs formed square- and rectangular-shaped agglomerates larger than 200 nm in WhBl. Similarly shaped structures were found for PLLAgNPs in BlPl, while PVPAgNPs formed large hexagonal nanocomposites in BlPl (Figure 8

• , where further growth to nanocomposites was accomplished. Thus, our results indicate an in vivo synthesis of metallic nanocrystals in mammalian organisms, similarly to that already described in microorganisms [68]. There are many examples of in vivo formation of nanomaterials (NMs) in biological systems

Synthesis and applications of carbon nanomaterials for energy generation and storage

• Marco Notarianni,
• Jinzhang Liu,
• Kristy Vernon and
• Nunzio Motta

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 149–196, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.17

Evaluation of gas-sensing properties of ZnO nanostructures electrochemically doped with Au nanophases

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

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 22–31, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.3

• , respectively. The pristine ZnO and Au@ZnO nanocomposites are proposed as active layer in chemiresistive gas sensors for low-cost processing. Gas-sensing measurements towards NO2 were collected at 300 °C, evaluating not only the Au-doping effect, but also the influence of the different ZnO nanostructures on the

• of an in situ electrodecoration procedure based on the so called sacrificial anode electrolysis (SAE) [42][43]. Subsequently, ZnO and Au@ZnO nanocomposites, annealed at two different temperatures, 300 and 550 °C, were morphologically and chemically characterized by means transmission and scanning

• equilibrium resistance value. The recovery time is defined as the time necessary to reach the 90% of the original resistance value in air without the gaseous analyte. Results and Discussion Chemical and structural properties The surface chemical composition of pristine and Au-doped ZnO nanocomposites annealed

Controlled graphene oxide assembly on silver nanocube monolayers for SERS detection: dependence on nanocube packing procedure

• Martina Banchelli,
• Bruno Tiribilli,
• Roberto Pini,
• Luigi Dei,
• Paolo Matteini and
• Gabriella Caminati

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 9–21, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.2

• -containing functionalities, which confer to the system additional features including great chemical stability in aqueous media and superior ability of capturing and retaining molecules. Reports on nanoparticle/graphene hybrid nanocomposites showed that SERS signals arising from graphene/metal hybrid

• derivatives and nanoparticles including metal evaporation, electrochemical deposition and layer-by-layer self-assembly techniques [51]. Zarbin's group [20] directly synthesized and assembled silver nanoparticle/graphene oxide nanocomposites at a water/toluene liquid–liquid interface whereas Wang et al. [52

Fabrication of hybrid nanocomposite scaffolds by incorporating ligand-free hydroxyapatite nanoparticles into biodegradable polymer scaffolds and release studies

• Balazs Farkas,
• Marina Rodio,
• Ilaria Romano,
• Alberto Diaspro,
• Romuald Intartaglia and
• Szabolcs Beke

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 2217–2223, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.227

• osteoconductive and osteoinductive capabilities [5][6], made it a platform for large-scale biomedical applications, such as controlled drug release and bone tissue engineering materials [7][8]. Lee et al. [9] reported on cellular responses to crosslinkable poly(propylene fumarate)/hydroxyapatite nanocomposites

• and showed that these nanocomposites are beneficial for hard tissue replacement due to the excellent mechanical strength and osteoconductivity. They used commercially available HA NPs, whereas we prepared HA NPs by PLAL and controlled the size by this method. They demonstrated also that the addition

Electrochemical behavior of polypyrrol/AuNP composites deposited by different electrochemical methods: sensing properties towards catechol

• Celia García-Hernández,
• Cristina García-Cabezón,
• Cristina Medina-Plaza,
• Fernando Martín-Pedrosa,
• Yolanda Blanco,
• José Antonio de Saja and
• María Luz Rodríguez-Méndez

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 2052–2061, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.209

• generated under potentiostatic and galvanostatic conditions on both platinum and stainless steel substrates, resulting in the formation of nanocomposites based on gold nanoparticles within the polypyrrole layer. Electropolymerization of Ppy/AuNPs Figure 1 shows the potential (E) vs time (t) curves

• lower than the potential obtained when AuNPs were generated in situ (cogeneration). This result seems to confirm that AuNPs affect the nucleation process. Only a small difference was found in the final potential attained by Ppy/AuNPs deposited on Pt or on SS. Nanocomposites Ppy/AuNP were also prepared

• of films deposited onto SS or Pt were almost identical. The average size of the AuNPs was between 30 and 40 nm (regardless of the method used), which is consistent with the absorbance at 540 nm observed by colloid that was used to obtain the nanocomposites by trapping. The number of AuNPs

A facile method for the preparation of bifunctional Mn:ZnS/ZnS/Fe₃O₄ magnetic and fluorescent nanocrystals

• Houcine Labiadh,
• Tahar Ben Chaabane,
• Romain Sibille,
• Lavinia Balan and
• Raphaël Schneider

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1743–1751, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.178

• with QDs (e.g., using avidin and biotin) [18][19]. However, there are still some challenges to overcome such as the complexity in the preparation, which involves multistep synthesis and purification stages or the instability and aggregation of the nanocomposites in aqueous solution. Moreover, some of

Radiation losses in the microwave K_u band in magneto-electric nanocomposites

• Talwinder Kaur,
• Sachin Kumar,
• Jyoti Sharma and
• A. K. Srivastava

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1700–1707, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.173

• nanocomposites, namely La–Co-substituted barium hexaferrite and polyaniline, is presented. The study was performed by means of a vector network analyser, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, electron spin resonance spectroscopy and a vibrating sample

• ; Introduction Conducting polymer nanocomposites have been in the focus of research mainly because of a number of attractive technological applications in the microwave region such as radar and radar-absorbing materials [1][2], Wi-Fi systems and other communication systems, and microwave devices. They also have

• paper, we have used the versatile citrate precursor method to synthesize La–Co-substituted barium hexaferrite. Lanthanum and cobalt are used as substituents to enhance the magnetic properties of barium hexaferrite and then emulsion polymerization is employed for the synthesis of nanocomposites. The

Synthesis, characterization and in vitro biocompatibility study of Au/TMC/Fe₃O₄ nanocomposites as a promising, nontoxic system for biomedical applications

• Hanieh Shirazi,
• Maryam Daneshpour,
• Soheila Kashanian and
• Kobra Omidfar

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1677–1689, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.170

• derivatives, N-trimethylchitosan (TMC), were applied to construct three-layer nanocomposites in an Au/polymer/Fe3O4 system. It was demonstrated that replacement of chitosan with TMC reasonably improved the properties of the final nanocomposites including their size, magnetic behavior and thermal stability

• . Moreover, the results of the MTT assay showed no significant cytotoxicity effect when the Au/TMC/Fe3O4 nanocomposites were applied in vitro. These TMC-containing magnetic nanoparticles are well-coated by Au nanoparticles and have good biocompatibility and can thus play the role of a platform or a label in

• various fields of application, especially the biomedical sciences and biosensors. Keywords: Au/polymer/Fe3O4 nanocomposites; Au nanoparticles; cell viability; magnetic nanoparticles; N-trimethyl chitosan; Introduction Nanotechnology is the science of the fabrication of novel materials, devices and