Self-assembly of amino acids toward functional biomaterials

• Huan Ren,
• Lifang Wu,
• Lina Tan,
• Yanni Bao,
• Yuchen Ma,
• Yong Jin and
• Qianli Zou

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1140–1150, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.85

• membrane and had good biocompatibility. After 20 h of incubation, approximately 95% of Staphylococcus aureus bacterial proliferation was effectively inhibited [46]. A novel supramolecular self-assembled hydrogel was prepared by mixing Fmoc-ʟ-phenylalanine (Fmoc-ʟ-Phe) with oligo(thiophene ethynylene)-ᴅ

pH-driven enhancement of anti-tubercular drug loading on iron oxide nanoparticles for drug delivery in macrophages

• Karishma Berta Cotta,
• Sarika Mehra and
• Rajdip Bandyopadhyaya

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1127–1139, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.84

• have also proven to be beneficial in overcoming multidrug resistance by enabling an increased drug uptake [8]. Similarly, physical combination of stabilized IONPs and anti-tuberculosis drugs improve intracellular drug accumulation through efflux pump inhibition [9] or by enhanced membrane

Use of nanosystems to improve the anticancer effects of curcumin

• Andrea M. Araya-Sibaja,
• Norma J. Salazar-López,
• Krissia Wilhelm Romero,
• José R. Vega-Baudrit,
• J. Abraham Domínguez-Avila,
• Carlos A. Velázquez Contreras,
• Ramón E. Robles-Zepeda,
• Mirtha Navarro-Hoyos and
• Gustavo A. González-Aguilar

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1047–1062, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.78

• advantages include high biocompatibility, safety, and flexibility (the latter can be modulated by the concentration of cholesterol in the lipid membrane) [40][73][74]. PEGylated long-circulating liposomes with co-encapsulated CUR–doxorubicin inhibited C26 (murine colon carcinoma) cell proliferation, in

• , and high membrane permeability [80][81][82]. In particular, their stability tends to increase due to minimal exposure to ambient conditions (thereby delaying oxidation or degradation reactions), while their release may be regulated according to the use of different encapsulating materials [83

• -promoting effect of the phototherapy–CUR combination is the result of increased nuclear fragmentation, nuclear condensation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, increased cytosolic levels of cytochrome C, and regulation of apoptosis-related proteins

Progress and innovation of nanostructured sulfur cathodes and metal-free anodes for room-temperature Na–S batteries

• Marina Tabuyo-Martínez,
• Bernd Wicklein and
• Pilar Aranda

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 995–1020, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.75

• –Nafion membrane. Using this barrier, the capacity retention could be improved to 250 mAh·g−1 after 100 cycles. In spite of the improvement, the capacity value is still low because of the low Na+ diffusivity through the membrane and the insulating nature of Al2O3. Another approach to stable catholytes is

Self-assembly of Eucalyptus gunnii wax tubules and pure ß-diketone on HOPG and glass

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

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 939–949, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.70

• interface, covers all aerial non-lignified parts of higher plants [1]. It is an extracellular membrane of epidermal cells, consisting of a matrix of the polymer cutin and a mixture of hydrophobic compounds, the cuticular waxes [2][3]. This interface is a multifunctional surface optimized by evolution to

The role of deep eutectic solvents and carrageenan in synthesizing biocompatible anisotropic metal nanoparticles

• Nabojit Das,
• Akash Kumar and
• Raja Gopal Rayavarapu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 924–938, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.69

• maintaining high yield and monodispersity. Initially, gold nanorods were synthesized using electrochemical methods using polycarbonate membrane templates or porous alumina for shape control in the presence of surfactants (mostly CTAB) [34][35]. Because of their optical properties, gold nanorods became

• adsorbed on the metal surface in a tightly packed bilayer structure. Among quaternary ammonium surfactants, CTAB has been extensively reported as cytotoxic even at low concentrations [44][45][46]. The positively charged CTAB interacts with the plasma membrane, which is negatively charged due to the

• asymmetric distribution of charged lipids between the two leaflets of the plasma membrane. This lead to a negative charged of the inner leaflet generating a surface potential and the binding affinity towards positively charged moieties. However, an interesting study revealed a structure-dependent

Modification of a SERS-active Ag surface to promote adsorption of charged analytes: effect of Cu²⁺ ions

• Bahdan V. Ranishenka,
• Andrei Yu. Panarin,
• Irina A. Chelnokova,
• Sergei N. Terekhov,
• Peter Mojzes and
• Vadim V. Shmanai

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 902–912, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.67

• membrane (cutoff = 12 kDa), branched polyethylenimine (PEI, MW = 25000), polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride (PHMG), analytical grade DMSO, NaI, LiCl, AgNO3, sodium mercaptoethyl sulfonate, mercaptopropionic acid, 2-mercaptoethanol, 2-(dimethylamino)ethanethiol hydrochloride, acetylthiocholine

Comprehensive review on ultrasound-responsive theranostic nanomaterials: mechanisms, structures and medical applications

• Sepand Tehrani Fateh,
• Lida Moradi,
• Elmira Kohan,
• Michael R. Hamblin and
• Amin Shiralizadeh Dezfuli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 808–862, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.64

• ]. Early reports in the field of ultrasonic drug delivery demonstrated that the application of US energy alone could facilitate intracellular delivery of molecules by altering membrane integrity or interfering with the endocytosis process; however, this could also be harmful to the cells under some

• the MBs, leading to the term “microstream”. Depending on the US intensity, the oscillating MBs come into close proximity with the cells and induce stresses on the cell membrane [75]. Consequently, the triggered shear forces cause disruption of the cell membrane and increase intracellular uptake of

• proximity to the cell membrane. It has been shown that during inertial cavitation, in addition to direct oscillating MB–cell membrane interactions, a fluid microjet formed around the MBs can be responsible for providing secondary mechanical stress on the cell membrane and create transient disruption. In

Silver nanoparticles nucleated in NaOH-treated halloysite: a potential antimicrobial material

• Yuri B. Matos,
• Rodrigo S. Romanus,
• Mattheus Torquato,
• Edgar H. de Souza,
• Rodrigo L. Villanova,
• Marlene Soares and
• Emilson R. Viana

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 798–807, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.63

• cellular membrane and to disrupt internal cellular components, such as DNA [2][3][4][5][6]. Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs), in particular, are known for their antimicrobial properties and are one of the most extensively studied inorganic antimicrobial agents [7][8][9]. Early studies suggested that Ag-NPs

Silver nanoparticles induce the cardiomyogenic differentiation of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells via telomere length extension

• Khosro Adibkia,
• Ali Ehsani,
• Asma Jodaei,
• Ezzatollah Fathi,
• Raheleh Farahzadi and
• Mohammad Barzegar-Jalali

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 786–797, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.62

• each cell protein sample was electrophoresed and transferred to membrane. The membranes were incubated with primary polyclonal antibodies (1:1000) against β-actin (sc-69879), VEGF (sc-7269), C-TnI (sc-133117), VWF (sc-365712), SMA (sc-53015), GATA-4 (sc-25310), TERT (E-AB-33070), cyclin-D (SC-8396

Recent progress in actuation technologies of micro/nanorobots

• Ke Xu and
• Bing Liu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 756–765, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.59

• bilayers, which also contains an actuator and a clutch inside. When the robot is irradiated by ultraviolet light, the photoresponsive DNA will split into single strands and attach to the microtubules. The slide of microtubules causes the outer cell membrane to change shape, which transforms the robot from

• an inactive sphere to an active moving non-sphere. Conversely, when the robot is illuminated by visible light, the microtubes cannot interact with the membrane, that is to say, the clutch is disengaged, and the robot will also change back to a spherical shape and stop moving. This research

A review of defect engineering, ion implantation, and nanofabrication using the helium ion microscope

• Frances I. Allen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 633–664, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.52

• of patches of a silicon nitride membrane that were subsequently perforated by helium ion beam milling to create solid-state nanopores for biomolecule detection. Following this approach, a low fluorescence background was achieved, facilitating the translocation detection of fluorescently labeled

• induced. Future work in this direction using the high-resolution patterning capabilities of the HIM for highly tunable strain engineering on the nanoscale is to be expected. Related to this are the ion implantation-induced membrane folding studies discussed at the end of Section 3. Helium nanobubbles and

• membrane targets by ion implantation. Ion-induced mass transport In one example of a morphological change attributed to ion-induced mass transport, segments of a free-standing GaAs nanowire of 100 nm diameter were irradiated locally with 30 keV helium ions at relatively low dose resulting in local thinning

Stability and activity of platinum nanoparticles in the oxygen electroreduction reaction: is size or uniformity of primary importance?

• Kirill O. Paperzh,
• Anastasia A. Alekseenko,
• Vadim A. Volochaev,
• Ilya V. Pankov,
• Olga A. Safronenko and
• Vladimir E. Guterman

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 593–606, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.49

• University, "High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy” Shared Use Center, 344090, 194/2 Stachki st., Rostov-on-Don, Russia 10.3762/bjnano.12.49 Abstract Platinum–carbon catalysts are widely used in the manufacturing of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells. Increasing Pt/C activity and stability is an

• . Keywords: durability; electrocatalysts; morphology control; oxygen reduction reaction; platinum nanoparticles; size distribution; spatial distribution; Introduction Nowadays, low-temperature proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) are gaining a wider application. This is due to their environmental

• friendliness, low operating temperature, and high adaptability of specific characteristics [1][2][3]. The key components of PEMFC membrane–electrode assemblies (MEA) are the proton-exchange polymer membrane and porous electrode layers, in which current-forming reactions of oxygen electroreduction (ORR) and

The preparation temperature influences the physicochemical nature and activity of nanoceria

• Robert A. Yokel,
• Wendel Wohlleben,
• Johannes Georg Keller,
• Matthew L. Hancock,
• Jason M. Unrine,
• D. Allan Butterfield and
• Eric A. Grulke

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 525–540, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.43

• autosampler. In the PSF reservoir, ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) filters prevent clogging of the ultrafiltration membrane in the flow cell. For the standard conditions, 1 mg of ENM was placed on a 5,000 MWCO, 47 mm cellulose triacetate membrane (Stedim Biotech GmbH, Göttingen, Germany

• % sodium dodecyl sulfate for 20 min at room temperature, neutralized, and blotted onto a nitrocellulose membrane for slot-blot analysis with an anti-DNPH rabbit antibody and secondary anti-rabbit IgG alkaline phosphatase antibody, using reagents from the OxyBlot Protein Oxidation Detection Kit (Millipore

A review on nanostructured silver as a basic ingredient in medicine: physicochemical parameters and characterization

• Gabriel M. Misirli,
• Kishore Sridharan and
• Shirley M. P. Abrantes

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 440–461, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.36

• inhibit virus replication by binding to and regulating cellular and viral proteins and RNAs [114]. Studies indicate that AgNPs did not affect cellular viability, according to mitochondrial cytotoxicity tests, or plasma membrane integrity. Interestingly, they exhibited potent ability to activate

The impact of molecular tumor profiling on the design strategies for targeting myeloid leukemia and EGFR/CD44-positive solid tumors

• Nikola Geskovski,
• Nadica Matevska-Geshkovska,
• Simona Dimchevska Sazdovska,
• Marija Glavas Dodov,
• Kristina Mladenovska and
• Katerina Goracinova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 375–401, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.31

• energy and material for membrane biosynthesis, and fat-soluble vitamins [25]. In the past, this pathway was generally ignored as a targeting possibility, mostly because the BM contribution to the RES is quite negligible compared to that of spleen and liver. Also, there was a lack of understanding and

• not internalized after antibody binding, the authors speculate that the NP-enriched cell membrane promotes some kind of “passive” internalization of the functionalized NPs. Protein tyrosine kinase 7 (PTK7) is a highly expressed receptor in AML cells and is mostly assigned to granulocytic lineage

• NALM-6 cell membrane vesicles that were further decorated with aTGFβRII antibodies, attached via hypoxia-sensitive azobenzene linker. The membrane coating plays a dual role in the formulation. It guides the drug to the BM via receptor–ligand interaction between CXCR4 (a chemokine receptor expressed on

Exploring the fabrication and transfer mechanism of metallic nanostructures on carbon nanomembranes via focused electron beam induced processing

• Christian Preischl,
• Linh Hoang Le,
• Elif Bilgilisoy,
• Armin Gölzhäuser and
• Hubertus Marbach

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 319–329, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.26

• hybrid structure can be lifted off from the substrate and transferred onto bulk substrates, such as SiO2, or onto TEM grids in order to obtain a free-standing CNM with a metallic nanostructure on top. It was shown that the membrane is mechanically stable enough during the whole process and that the

The patterning toolbox FIB-o-mat: Exploiting the full potential of focused helium ions for nanofabrication

• Victor Deinhart,
• Lisa-Marie Kern,
• Jan N. Kirchhof,
• Sabrina Juergensen,
• Joris Sturm,
• Enno Krauss,
• Thorsten Feichtner,
• Sviatoslav Kovalchuk,
• Michael Schneider,
• Dieter Engel,
• Bastian Pfau,
• Bert Hecht,
• Kirill I. Bolotin,
• Stephanie Reich and
• Katja Höflich

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 304–318, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.25

• sheet was covered by a 500 nm thick PMMA layer. After etching the copper foil, the graphene sheet was transferred onto a SiN membrane with a regular grid of holes. The transfer process is described in detail elsewhere [52]. The SiN membrane was covered with a thin layer of gold, which allowed us to

Doxorubicin-loaded gold nanorods: a multifunctional chemo-photothermal nanoplatform for cancer management

• Uzma Azeem Awan,
• Abida Raza,
• Shaukat Ali,
• Rida Fatima Saeed and
• Nosheen Akhtar

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 295–303, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.24

• external stimulus [13]. Additionally, the NIR light-induced heat can improve the sensitivity of cancer cells towards chemotherapeutic agents by increasing blood vessel dilation and membrane permeability. These findings provide an incentive to combine photothermal therapy and chemotherapy for cancer

Characterization, bio-uptake and toxicity of polymer-coated silver nanoparticles and their interaction with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells

• Sahar Pourhoseini,
• Reilly T. Enos,
• Angela E. Murphy,
• Bo Cai and
• Jamie R. Lead

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 282–294, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.23

• . However, for the AgNO3 treatment, this ratio increased in a dose-dependent manner (Table 2). Impact of PVP-AgNPs and Ag ions on viability and metabolic activity of PBMCs Cell membrane integrity as a marker for cell viability was measured by LDH release; a greater LDH release is an indication of more

• ., passivation, or as separate particles) or are bound to proteins. These leads to the formation of secondary NPs, chloro complexes and protein interactions in the RPMI medium yielding a Ag compounds that have a molecular mass above the nominal value of the 3 kDa filter membrane, which affects filter permeation

• synthesis, the NPs were washed by ultrafiltration (3 kDa cellulose membrane EMD Millipore) using a diafiltration technique to avoid drying and NP aggregation as well as to remove any residual reactants. The washing process was repeated at least three times and after each wash the trisodium citrate solution

Differences in surface chemistry of iron oxide nanoparticles result in different routes of internalization

• Barbora Svitkova,
• Vlasta Zavisova,
• Veronika Nemethova,
• Martina Koneracka,
• Miroslava Kretova,
• Filip Razga,
• Monika Ursinyova and
• Alena Gabelova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 270–281, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.22

• initiated by the polymerization of clathrin units resulting in the assembly of a basket-like structure (clathrin-coated pit) with a size of 120–150 nm at the inner layer of the plasma membrane [11]. An alternative endocytosis pathway is caveolin-mediated endocytosis (CavME), the second most important route

• of cellular entry. Caveolae are characteristic flask-shaped membrane invaginations with an average size of 50–100 nm [12], lined by caveolin and enriched with cholesterol and sphingolipids. The deeply invaginated clathrin or caveolin pits are then fissured from the membrane by GTPase dynamin

• . Macropinocytosis, a clathrin- and caveolin-independent endocytosis pathway, occurs via actin-driven membrane protrusions. The large endocytic vesicle has a size bigger than 1 µm [13]. Alternative pathways of endocytosis involve other types of cholesterol-rich microdomains called “lipid rafts”, small structures of

The nanomorphology of cell surfaces of adhered osteoblasts

• Christian Voelkner,
• Mirco Wendt,
• Regina Lange,
• Max Ulbrich,
• Martina Gruening,
• Susanne Staehlke,
• Barbara Nebe,
• Ingo Barke and
• Sylvia Speller

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 242–256, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.20

• micrometers down to the nanometer scale. The cell surface plays a particularly important role. Electric signaling, including information processing, takes place at the membrane, as well as adhesion and contact. For osteoblasts, adhesion and spreading are crucial processes with regard to bone implants. Here we

• characteristic membrane protrusions. They contribute to the overall surface corrugation, which we systematically study by introducing the relative 3D excess area as a function of the projected adhesion area. A clear anticorrelation between the two parameters is found upon analysis of ca. 40 different cells on

• glass and on amine-covered surfaces. At the rim of lamellipodia, characteristic edge heights between 100 and 300 nm are observed. Power spectral densities of membrane fluctuations show frequency-dependent decay exponents with absolute values greater than 2 on living osteoblasts. We discuss the

Scanning transmission helium ion microscopy on carbon nanomembranes

• Daniel Emmrich,
• Annalena Wolff,
• Nikolaus Meyerbröker,
• Jörg K. N. Lindner,
• André Beyer and
• Armin Gölzhäuser

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 222–231, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.18

• yield is significantly increased because sputtering occurs not only in backward but also in forward direction [16][17]. To observe and control the milling process, the ion transmission signal is preferred over the SE signal because it is related to the membrane thickness. The detection of the

• [18], Hall measured the thickness of a silicon nitride membrane down to 5 nm using the bright-field signal [19]. A different detection method is the use of a microchannel plate (MCP). Woehl et al. were able to resolve the core–shell structure of silica-coated gold nanoparticles with an annular

• samples. These membranes are made from aromatic molecules, typically from self-assembled monolayers. Upon electron irradiation, cross-linking of the molecules is induced. A mechanically stable membrane is formed, which can be transferred onto any other substrate, such as TEM grids [22][23]. Since CNMs

A review on the biological effects of nanomaterials on silkworm (Bombyx mori)

• Sandra Senyo Fometu,
• Guohua Wu,
• Lin Ma and
• Joan Shine Davids

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 190–202, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.15

• contact with nanomaterial waste; (D) damage in the membrane and in the lumen of silkworm silk glands; (E) dead zebrafish embryos; (F) NM; (G) contamination of water bodies; (H) silkworm feeding on mulberry leaves containing chemical residues. An illustration of how nanomaterials are directly fed to the

Imaging of SARS-CoV-2 infected Vero E6 cells by helium ion microscopy

• Natalie Frese,
• Patrick Schmerer,
• Martin Wortmann,
• Matthias Schürmann,
• Matthias König,
• Michael Westphal,
• Friedemann Weber,
• Holger Sudhoff and
• Armin Gölzhäuser

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 172–179, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.13

• . The HIM pictures show the three-dimensional appearance of SARS-CoV-2 and the surface of Vero E6 cells at a multiplicity of infection of approximately 1 with great morphological detail. The absence of a conductive coating allows for a distinction between virus particles bound to the cell membrane and

• virus particles lying on top of the membrane. After prolonged imaging, it was found that ion-induced deposition of hydrocarbons from the vacuum renders the sample sufficiently conductive to allow for imaging even without charge compensation. The presented images demonstrate the potential of the HIM in

• bioimaging, especially for the imaging of interactions between viruses and their host organisms. Keywords: bioimaging; cell membrane; charge compensation; helium ion microscopy; SARS-CoV-2; Vero E6 cells; Introduction The last decade of helium ion microscopy (HIM) was characterized by a rapid exploration