Ultraviolet patterns of flowers revealed in polymer replica – caused by surface architecture

• Anna J. Schulte,
• Matthias Mail,
• Lisa A. Hahn and
• Wilhelm Barthlott

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 459–466, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.45

• mold is generated followed by a positive. For the generation of the negative, the master (biological sample) is molded with a polyvinylsiloxane dental wax (President light body gel, ISO 4823, PLB; Coltene Whaldent, Hamburg, Germany). In the second step, these molds are filled with a two-component

Reduced graphene oxide supported C₃N₄ nanoflakes and quantum dots as metal-free catalysts for visible light assisted CO₂ reduction

• Md Rakibuddin and
• Haekyoung Kim

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 448–458, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.44

• the help of protons. Conclusion Reduced graphene oxide supported C3N4 NF and QD hybrid (GCN) materials have been successfully synthesized via a sol–gel and hydrothermal method and are characterized in this work. The formation of g-C3N4 NFs (20–45 nm) and QDs (2–3 nm) can be controlled by varying the

Nanocomposite–parylene C thin films with high dielectric constant and low losses for future organic electronic devices

• Marwa Mokni,
• Gianluigi Maggioni,
• Abdelkader Kahouli,
• Sara M. Carturan,
• Walter Raniero and
• Alain Sylvestre

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 428–441, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.42

• recently proposed for low operating voltages of TFTs [1][2]. By using water-inducement, scandium oxide was succesfully integrated as gate dielectric in both InZnO and CuO TFTs [1]. Using a sol–gel approach, high-k ink hybrid AlOOH nanocomposites demonstrated low leakage currents suitable for low operating

One-step nonhydrolytic sol–gel synthesis of mesoporous TiO₂ phosphonate hybrid materials

• Yanhui Wang,
• P. Hubert Mutin and
• Johan G. Alauzun

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 356–362, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.35

• a nonhydrolytic sol–gel method involving the reaction of Ti(OiPr)4, acetophenone (2 equiv) and diethyl octylphosphonate (from 0 to 0.2 equiv) at 200 °C for 12 hours, in toluene. The different samples were characterized by 31P magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform

• modified by octylphosphonate units, where the octyl chains form an organic continuous matrix. Keywords: anatase; mesoporous; nonaqueous sol–gel; phosphonate; Introduction The development of porous hybrid organic–inorganic materials has been a major goal for materials scientists for more than 25 years [1

• organosilsesquioxane (O1.5Si–R–O1.5). These hybrids are usually prepared by conventional sol–gel processing, i.e., by hydrolysis and condensation of alkoxysilane precursors, which offers an excellent control over composition and homogeneity, while texture can be tuned using various templating approaches [9]. In the

Removal of toxic heavy metals from river water samples using a porous silica surface modified with a new β-ketoenolic host

• Said Tighadouini,
• Smaail Radi,
• Abderrahman Elidrissi,
• Khadija Haboubi,
• Maryse Bacquet,
• Stéphanie Degoutin,
• Mustapha Zaghrioui and
• Yann Garcia

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 262–273, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.25

• , zinc and copper metal ions from aqueous solutions as well as in natural water samples. Experimental Synthesis Solvents and chemicals, used without further purification, were of analytical grade (Aldrich, 99.5% purity). Silica gel (particle size of 70–230 mesh, median pore diameter of 60 Å) (E. Merck

• from ethyl pyridine-2-carboxylate and 2-acetylfuran via in situ Claisen condensation reaction [49]. The reaction of the activated silica gel with (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane in toluene afforded amino groups onto the silica surface (SiNH2), which were then reacted with L1 under gentle conditions

• -3-(pyridin-2-yl)prop-2-en-1-one was successful. FTIR spectra of original silica gel (SiG), SiNH2 and SiNL are shown in Figure 1. The characteristics of the precursor materials (SiG, SiNH2) are consistent with literature [44][45][46][47][48]. In the SiNL spectrum, the stretching vibration of O–H band

Pull-off and friction forces of micropatterned elastomers on soft substrates: the effects of pattern length scale and stiffness

• Peter van Assenbergh,
• Marike Fokker,
• Julian Langowski,
• Jan van Esch,
• Marleen Kamperman and
• Dimitra Dodou

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 79–94, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.8

• might be explained by PVA having a low surface energy (ca. 50 mN/m [32]), and because of the presence of water at the PVA–micropattern interface, which might be squeezed out of the PVA gel during loading. Whereas geometry did not show consistent effects on pull-off force, the substrate stiffness did

• with 10% (w/v) PVA hydrogel. In a PVA gel, crosslinks between chains are formed by hydrogen bonding between hydroxyl side groups. We used hydrolyzed PVA, because by additional hydrolysis, acetate side groups in the polymer are turned into hydroxyl groups, and crosslink formation is promoted. Subjecting

Zn/F-doped tin oxide nanoparticles synthesized by laser pyrolysis: structural and optical properties

• Florian Dumitrache,
• Iuliana P. Morjan,
• Elena Dutu,
• Ion Morjan,
• Claudiu Teodor Fleaca,
• Monica Scarisoreanu,
• Alina Ilie,
• Marius Dumitru,
• Cristian Mihailescu,
• Adriana Smarandache and
• Gabriel Prodan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 9–21, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.2

• .) antimony by spray pyrolysis [9] or by sol–gel methods followed by spin-coating and annealing in different environments [10], ii.) manganese by long-time annealing of Mn/SnO2 bilayers in air at 200 °C [11] or by co-precipitation [12], iii.) aluminum, copper or indium all by spray pyrolysis from ethanolic

• values (3.6–3.7 eV for 5–10 wt % Zn) than the undoped ones (3.97 eV). All of these were synthesized by sol–gel methods from SnCl2 and ZnCl2 hydropropanolic solutions and short-time annealed at 480 °C [19]. The same tendency was found in the sprayed (from SnCl2 and Zn(CH3COO)2 in acidic H2O–CH3OH

Characterization and influence of hydroxyapatite nanopowders on living cells

• Przemyslaw Oberbek,
• Tomasz Bolek,
• Adrian Chlanda,
• Seishiro Hirano,
• Sylwia Kusnieruk,
• Julia Rogowska-Tylman,
• Ganna Nechyporenko,
• Viktor Zinchenko,
• Wojciech Swieszkowski and
• Tomasz Puzyn

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 3079–3094, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.286

• manufactured using many different methods, such as hydrothermal synthesis, sol–gel synthesis, wet-chemical precipitation and microwave processing [16][17][18][19]. Many studies have shown that HAp can cause different biological responses depending on its physicochemical properties [20][21][22]. It is also

Ternary nanocomposites of reduced graphene oxide, polyaniline and hexaniobate: hierarchical architecture and high polaron formation

• Claudio H. B. Silva,
• Maria Iliut,
• Christopher Muryn,
• Christian Berger,
• Zachary Coldrick,
• Vera R. L. Constantino,
• Marcia L. A. Temperini and
• Aravind Vijayaraghavan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2936–2946, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.272

• graphene oxide Graphene oxide was prepared by graphite oxidation according to a modified Hummers method [66][67]. The viscous gel-like dispersion of graphite oxide obtained after oxidation and purification (centrifugation and washing) was diluted with deionized water and the resulting dispersions were high

In situ characterization of nanoscale contaminations adsorbed in air using atomic force microscopy

• Jesús S. Lacasa,
• Lisa Almonte and
• Jaime Colchero

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2925–2935, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.271

• manufacturing processes, as well as contamination induced by the Gel-Pak containers employed for chip transport and storage [22][23]. A variety of cleaning procedures have been proposed to recover the ideal tip as manufactured initially. These procedures range from less aggressive methods, such as washing with

Graphene-enhanced metal oxide gas sensors at room temperature: a review

• Dongjin Sun,
• Yifan Luo,
• Marc Debliquy and
• Chao Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2832–2844, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.264

• as a gas sensor because of its small bandgap (2.585 eV) and its physical and chemical stability [88][89]. In an early work, Jie et al. [90] reported that a NO2 sensor based on WO3 nanospheres wrapped in graphene sheets, prepared by a simple sol–gel technique, showed a linear response to low

Size-selected Fe₃O₄–Au hybrid nanoparticles for improved magnetism-based theranostics

• Maria V. Efremova,
• Yulia A. Nalench,
• Eirini Myrovali,
• Anastasiia S. Garanina,
• Ivan S. Grebennikov,
• Polina K. Gifer,
• Maxim A. Abakumov,
• Marina Spasova,
• Makis Angelakeris,
• Alexander G. Savchenko,
• Michael Farle,
• Natalia L. Klyachko,
• Alexander G. Majouga and
• Ulf Wiedwald

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2684–2699, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.251

• cells and tissues. For the MRI tests, we observe the growth of the r2-relaxivity from 159 to 495 mM−1·s−1 in water and from 118 to 612 mM−1·s−1 in agarose gel matrices with increasing NP diameter from 6 to 25 nm. Our best values are significantly enhanced in comparison to other Fe3O4–Au hybrids or

Non-agglomerated silicon–organic nanoparticles and their nanocomplexes with oligonucleotides: synthesis and properties

• Asya S. Levina,
• Marina N. Repkova,
• Nadezhda V. Shikina,
• Zinfer R. Ismagilov,
• Svetlana A. Yashnik,
• Dmitrii V. Semenov,
• Yulia I. Savinovskaya,
• Natalia A. Mazurkova,
• Inna A. Pyshnaya and
• Valentina F. Zarytova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2516–2525, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.234

• groups in an oligonucleotide (NH2/p ≈ 10) when preparing the Si–NH2·ODN nanocomplexes (Figure 1a). A similar result was obtained when the mixture of ODN and Si–NH2 was analyzed by electrophoresis in agarose gel (Figure 1b). The higher the NH2/p ratio, the higher complexation occurred; at the ratio of 11

• spectrophotometrically at 260 nm. The results are presented in Figure 1a. In experiment (b), ODN(1) and Si–NH2 were mixed (as in (a)) and the samples (1 µL) were loaded onto 0.7% agarose gel prepared by heating of agarose in Tris-glycine buffer. Electrophoresis was performed at 5 V·cm−1 for 30 min. Oligonucleotide spots

• ) bound and (2) unbound ODN(1) is shown. (b) Electrophoresis in agarose gel. IR (a) and UV (b) spectra of Si–NH2. TEM images of Si–NH2 (a) nanoparticles and Si–NH2·ODN(1) nanocomplexes (b). (a) 3D and (b) 2D AFM images of the Si–NH2·ODN(1) nanocomplex and (c) a suface profile along the line specified in

Enhanced antineoplastic/therapeutic efficacy using 5-fluorouracil-loaded calcium phosphate nanoparticles

• Shanid Mohiyuddin,
• Saba Naqvi and
• Gopinath Packirisamy

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2499–2515, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.233

Block copolymers for designing nanostructured porous coatings

• Roberto Nisticò

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2332–2344, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.218

• peculiar characteristic can be coupled with sol–gel processes to produce well-ordered oxidic architectures [95][96]. The sol–gel process involves various chemical reactions such as hydrolysis, condensation, and consequently, polymerization involving the monomers (for inorganic systems, either metal

• alkoxides or metal chlorides) that evolves forming a colloidal solution (sol) and subsequently a stable network (gel) of polymerized particles. The byproducts of these polycondensation reactions are water and alcohol, depending on the precursor selected. Even if the principles behind the sol–gel reaction

• concerning the principles behind sol–gel chemistry, please refer to [4]. In order to enhance the structural control in oxidic systems (and in particular by modulating the porosity organization), one possibility is to exploit the templating action of amphiphilic BC supramolecular structures working as

Nanoscale characterization of the temporary adhesive of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus

• Ana S. Viana and
• Romana Santos

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2277–2286, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.212

• rough meshwork and a soft gel-like matrix with an embedded web of long interweaving fibres. However, a clear distinction between the homogeneous film and meshwork was not observed, nor were the globular nanostructures reported in A. rubens. A possible explanation might be the fact that the M. glacialis

Electrospun one-dimensional nanostructures: a new horizon for gas sensing materials

• Muhammad Imran,
• Nunzio Motta and
• Mahnaz Shafiei

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2128–2170, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.202

Cryochemical synthesis of ultrasmall, highly crystalline, nanostructured metal oxides and salts

• Elena A. Trusova and
• Nikolai S. Trutnev

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1755–1763, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.166

• that of the same composition prepared directly from an as-prepared microemulsion. In [14] we reported on a method for producing metal oxides (CeO2, Fe2O3 and NiO) with a crystallite size less than ≤10 nm by a combination of the sol–gel method and cryotechnology. The essence of the method is to create

• , including a modified sol–gel synthesis of the colloids and their cryogenic processing, was used in the synthesis of nickel, iron and cerium oxide nanopowders. In this case, cerium, iron and nickel nitrates were used as metal sources for the synthesis of metal-containing sols. The sol synthesis was carried

• oxide nanoparticle formation under of sol–gel synthesis in combination with cryotreatment of the sol is presented in Figure 3 using the example of the ceria nanopowder. The process under consideration involves the interaction of hydrolyzed Ce3+ ions with DMOA to form the sol intermediate, A. Then, the

Preparation of micro/nanopatterned gelatins crosslinked with genipin for biocompatible dental implants

• Reika Makita,
• Tsukasa Akasaka,
• Seiichi Tamagawa,
• Yasuhiro Yoshida,
• Saori Miyata,
• Hirofumi Miyaji and
• Tsutomu Sugaya

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1735–1754, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.165

• days. Upon peeling off the cured polymer, a PDMS replica mold with a 0.5 mm thickness was obtained. Figure 11 shows the procedure for the fabrication of gelatin-containing micro/nanopatterns using genipin crosslinking. The gelatin powder was obtained from porcine skin (G1890, type A, gel strength: ≈300

Controllable one-pot synthesis of uniform colloidal TiO₂ particles in a mixed solvent solution for photocatalysis

• Jong Tae Moon,
• Seung Ki Lee and
• Ji Bong Joo

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1715–1727, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.163

• Abstract This study reports on the controllable synthesis of uniform colloidal titanium dioxide (TiO2) particles and their photocatalytic applications toward rhodamine B (RhB) degradation. The monodispersed TiO2 particles were synthesized under mixed solvent conditions by sol–gel chemistry in a one-pot

• well as the crystalline properties and performance enhancement of TiO2 photocatalysts calcined at different temperatures. Keywords: mixed solvent; one-pot synthesis; photocatalysts; rhodamine B degradation; sol–gel synthesis; spherical TiO2 particles; Introduction Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a widely

• , large surface area, uniform photocatalytic activity for each particle, and improved accessibility for the reactant molecules. To fabricate the uniform, colloidal TiO2 spheres, several synthetic methods have been reported including hydrothermal, solvothermal, and sol–gel processes [10][26][28][29

Nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes coated with zinc oxide nanoparticles as sulfur encapsulator for high-performance lithium/sulfur batteries

• Yan Zhao,
• Zhengjun Liu,
• Liancheng Sun,
• Yongguang Zhang,
• Yuting Feng,
• Xin Wang,
• Indira Kurmanbayeva and
• Zhumabay Bakenov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1677–1685, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.159

• carbon nanotubes coated with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO@NCNT) were prepared via a sol–gel route as sulfur encapsulator for lithium/sulfur (Li/S) batteries. The electrochemical properties of the S/ZnO@NCNT composite cathode were evaluated in Li/S batteries. It delivered an initial capacity of 1032

• providing pathways for ion and electron transport. The as-prepared S/ZnO@NCNT composite is a promising cathode material for Li/S batteries. Keywords: batteries; nanocomposites; sol–gel processes; sulfur; zinc oxide (ZnO); Introduction Due to its high theoretical specific capacity of 1672 mAh·g−1 and

• electrode. Conclusion Nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes coated with zinc oxide (ZnO@NCNT) were successfully prepared via a sol–gel synthetic route. They exhibit a unique ability to absorb polysulfides and, thus, to improve electrochemical properties of a S cathode. The S/ZnO@NCNT cathode has shown excellent

Sulfur-, nitrogen- and platinum-doped titania thin films with high catalytic efficiency under visible-light illumination

• Boštjan Žener,
• Lev Matoh,
• Giorgio Carraro,
• Bojan Miljević and
• Romana Cerc Korošec

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1629–1640, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.155

• suitable for use in environmental related fields such as air and water treatment and self-cleaning surfaces. In this work, titania thin films and powders were prepared by a particulate sol–gel route, using titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4) as a precursor. Afterwards, the prepared sols were doped with nitrogen

• and subsequent degradation was used to fit the experimental data. The results have shown an increase in photocatalytic activity under visible-light illumination of nonmetal and metal doped and co-doped titania thin films compared to an undoped sample. Keywords: doping; photocatalysis; sol–gel

• by the linear combination of the 3p orbitals of S and the 2p orbitals of O [39][40]. In this case, the crystal lattice of TiO2 becomes distorted due to the larger ionic radius of S2− compared to O2−. Among all of the approaches to preparation of titania thin films, the sol–gel method is the most

Nanocomposites comprised of homogeneously dispersed magnetic iron-oxide nanoparticles and poly(methyl methacrylate)

• Sašo Gyergyek,
• David Pahovnik,
• Ema Žagar,
• Alenka Mertelj,
• Rok Kostanjšek,
• Miloš Beković,
• Marko Jagodič,
• Heinrich Hofmann and
• Darko Makovec

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1613–1622, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.153

• nanocomposites combine the unique properties of nanoparticles with the advantages of a polymer matrix, which include low weight and easy formability [9][10][11][12]. Injectable formulations that gel in the targeted tumor and simultaneously entrap magnetic nanoparticles in the polymer were successfully used to

• , free flowing, swollen gel that after a prolonged time (≈24 h) self-separated into a colloidal suspension and a gel. Recent experimental and theoretical work on depletion forces has shown that depletion attraction is actually the short-range component of a more general structural interaction [19]. When

• , the last one is the most dependent on the concentration of NP-MMA and can even lead to cross-linking. The relative occurrence of this event should have a major influence on the colloidal stability of the NP-PMMA suspension and the hydrodynamic size of the NP-PMMA. The gel properties of the suspension

Correlative electrochemical strain and scanning electron microscopy for local characterization of the solid state electrolyte Li_1.3Al_0.3Ti_1.7(PO₄)₃

• Nino Schön,
• Deniz Cihan Gunduz,
• Shicheng Yu,
• Hermann Tempel,
• Roland Schierholz and
• Florian Hausen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1564–1572, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.148

• . Experimental Synthesis of Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3 (LATP) The synthesis of Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3 (LATP) has been described in detail elsewhere [17] and consists of an oxalic acid supported sol–gel process. Binder-free dense LATP pellets as used in this study were obtained by an improved route involving

Cr(VI) remediation from aqueous environment through modified-TiO₂-mediated photocatalytic reduction

• Rashmi Acharya,
• Brundabana Naik and
• Kulamani Parida

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1448–1470, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.137

• with further increase in the calcination temperature because of the decrease in the specific surface area induced by the aggregation and agglomeration of particles [157]. TiO2/Fe3O4 composite photocatalysts were synthesized through a polymerizable sol−gel route to investigate the photocatalytic

• photocurrent. Dozzi et al. synthesized a series of titanium–tungsten mixed oxides through coupling of TiO2 with varying WO3 percentage by a base-catalyzed sol–gel method [175]. WO3 plays a vital role in inhibiting charge recombination for efficient charge transfer to enhance the Cr(VI) reduction. Bi2O3

• possesses a narrow band gap (2.8 eV), appropriate valence band position, and similar photocatalytic mechanism to that of TiO2. Hence, it can conveniently be coupled with TiO2 [176][177]. Yang and co-workers prepared Bi2O3/TiO2 coupled photocatalysts by a sol–gel method followed by a hydrothermal technique