Gram-scale synthesis of splat-shaped Ag–TiO₂ nanocomposites for enhanced antimicrobial properties

• Mohammad Jaber,
• Asim Mushtaq,
• Kebiao Zhang,
• Jindan Wu,
• Dandan Luo,
• Zihan Yi,
• M. Zubair Iqbal and
• Xiangdong Kong

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1119–1125, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.96

• multidrug-resistant bacterial strains. In this regard, metal-oxide-based antibacterial nanomaterials have received potential research interest due to the efficient prevention of microorganism growth. In this study, splat-shaped Ag–TiO2 nanocomposites (NCs) were synthesized on the gram scale and the enhanced

• , surface functionalities, high surface-to-volume ratio and tunable physiochemical properties are unique characteristics that make nanomaterials promising for biomedical applications [6][7]. Multifunctional nanomaterials have been developed to decontaminate surfaces infested with infectious pathogens

• . Particularly, metal and metal-oxide-based disinfectants containing inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) have been broadly used since they simultaneously reduce the toxicity risk related to the organic materials and control the bacterial resistance against antibiotics [8]. Among the various types of nanomaterials

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

• anticipated to revolutionize current therapies [1]. The entire nanotechnology/nanomaterials branch is still very young but has rapidly expanded due to the many exploitable characteristics that nanomaterials have [2]. However, after decades of utilization, their effects are becoming transparent, and many of

Plant growth regulation by seed coating with films of alginate and auxin-intercalated layered double hydroxides

• Vander A. de Castro,
• Valber G. O. Duarte,
• Danúbia A. C. Nobre,
• Geraldo H. Silva,
• Vera R. L. Constantino,
• Frederico G. Pinto,
• Willian R. Macedo and
• Jairo Tronto

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1082–1091, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.93

• development of new sustainable products to increase crop yields. Some studies have demonstrated the use of nanomaterials as host matrices for storage and slow release of active products as fertilizers and agrochemicals [1][2][3][4][5][6]. The intercalation of ions or molecules of agricultural interest into

A few-layer graphene/chlorin e6 hybrid nanomaterial and its application in photodynamic therapy against Candida albicans

• Selene Acosta,
• Carlos Moreno-Aguilar,
• Dania Hernández-Sánchez,
• Beatriz Morales-Cruzado,
• Erick Sarmiento-Gomez,
• Carla Bittencourt,
• Luis Octavio Sánchez-Vargas and
• Mildred Quintana

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1054–1061, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.90

• results in the decay of ROS production due to molecular degradation. There have been several attempts to enhance the PDT properties of organic molecules like Ce6 by the preparation of composites using nanoparticles [14][15][16]. Such hybrid nanomaterials take advantage of both the good photosensitizer

• , due to their excellent physical and chemical properties (e.g., high surface area, excellent thermal and electric conductivity, high mechanical strength)[19][20][21]. Examples of graphene nanomaterials include single-layer graphene, few-layer graphene (FLG), graphene oxide (GO), and the reduced form of

Microwave-induced electric discharges on metal particles for the synthesis of inorganic nanomaterials under solvent-free conditions

• Vijay Tripathi,
• Harit Kumar,
• Anubhav Agarwal and
• Leela S. Panchakarla

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1019–1025, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.86

• nanoparticles of Cu and Ni and one-dimensional nanorods of CuS, ZnF2, and NiF2 protected with fluorinated amorphous carbon. We have also synthesized reduced graphene oxide and partially rolled graphene by this method. Keywords: electric discharges; microwave synthesis; nanomaterials; transmission electron

• microscopy; Introduction The synthesis of nanomaterials in short time intervals with fewer chemicals has become increasingly important in materials science. Traditional routes of synthesizing nanomaterials, including sol–gel synthesis, solvothermal synthesis, arc-discharge synthesis, or laser ablation

• exposed to microwaves due to the formation of high electric field gradients at sharp edges on the metal surfaces [12]. The generation of arcs might be the reason why microwave irradiation has not been used to generate different nanomaterials from metal particles. However, some studies show that the

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

• lead to significant damage to the brain [21]. Finally, an innovative way to solve the permeation problem is to load drugs inside nanoparticles. According to the European Commission, nanomaterials are materials that contain at least 50% of particles in a size range of 1 to 100 nm [22]. More generally

Nickel nanoparticles supported on a covalent triazine framework as electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction and oxygen reduction reactions

• Secil Öztürk,
• Yu-Xuan Xiao,
• Dennis Dietrich,
• Beatriz Giesen,
• Juri Barthel,
• Jie Ying,
• Xiao-Yu Yang and
• Christoph Janiak

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 770–781, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.62

• thermal stability of the CTF support is another advantage, as this is often a problem of many other catalysts. CTF-1-600, as a metal-free electrocatalyst, showed better performance than N-doped carbon nanomaterials, which required an overpotential of 0.38 V vs RHE at 10 mA/cm2 [57], better performance

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

• approaches for 2D, 1D, and 0D nanomaterials or a monolithic approach for the bulk material. Single-photon sources and their assessment criteria A single-photon source (SPS) is an optical device deterministically emitting photons. An SPS should have sub-Poisonnian statistics for photon emission, i.e

• in h-BN [115]. Nanotubes and nanococoons Another class of 1D and 0D h-BN nanomaterials, such as nanotubes (BNNTs) and nanococoons, were found to exhibit SPE. BNNT can be associated with 2D h-BN hexagonal sheets rolled into a closed nanotube structure, making them a type of 1D material up to 200 µm

Soybean-derived blue photoluminescent carbon dots

• Shanshan Wang,
• Wei Sun,
• Dong-sheng Yang and
• Fuqian Yang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 606–619, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.48

• wavelength [7], and low cost [8]. CDs have been considered as a group of important nanomaterials with potential applications in nanotechnology [9], electrocatalysis [10], metal-ion detection [2], thermal sensing [11], drug delivery [12], and biosensing and bioimaging [1]. Several methods are available for

• nm from soy milk also at 180 °C. Laser ablation in liquid (LAL) has been used to produce nanomaterials with special morphologies, microstructures, and phases and with various functionalized nanostructures [23][24][25]. For example, carbon-based nanoparticles with fewer side-products have been

Identification of physicochemical properties that modulate nanoparticle aggregation in blood

• Ludovica Soddu,
• Duong N. Trinh,
• Eimear Dunne,
• Dermot Kenny,
• Giorgia Bernardini,
• Ida Kokalari,
• Arianna Marucco,
• Marco P. Monopoli and
• Ivana Fenoglio

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 550–567, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.44

• processes are required to build structure–activity relationships (SARs) that in turn enable the SbD approaches. To the latter aspect, knowledge can only be derived by substantial screening of libraries of nanomaterials with well defined synthetic properties. The understanding of the processes occurring in

• nanomaterials are among the most studied inorganic materials for medical applications due to their promising properties. However, some studies have shown that they are both capable of inducing the formation of thrombi, and the relevant mechanisms of action are still under debate [9]. In fact, single-walled

• ), the most abundant protein in human plasma, is outside the top 10 proteins identified with MS in all samples, confirming that the composition of the protein corona is independent of the protein original abundance. In terms of molecular weights, most proteins found in the corona of both nanomaterials

Luminescent gold nanoclusters for bioimaging applications

• Nonappa

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

• Nonappa Department of Applied Physics, Aalto University School of Science, Puumiehenkuja 2, FI-02150, Espoo, Finland, Bioproducts and Biosystems, Aalto University School of Chemical Engineering, Kemistintie 1, FI-02150, Espoo, Finland 10.3762/bjnano.11.42 Abstract Luminescent nanomaterials have

• emerged as attractive candidates for sensing, catalysis and bioimaging applications in recent years. For practical use in bioimaging, nanomaterials with high photoluminescence, quantum yield, photostability and large Stokes shifts are needed. While offering high photoluminescence and quantum yield

• , semiconductor quantum dots suffer from toxicity and are susceptible to oxidation. In this context, atomically precise gold nanoclusters protected by thiol monolayers have emerged as a new class of luminescent nanomaterials. Low toxicity, bioavailability, photostability as well as tunable size, composition, and

Preparation and in vivo evaluation of glyco-gold nanoparticles carrying synthetic mycobacterial hexaarabinofuranoside

• Gennady L. Burygin,
• Polina I. Abronina,
• Nikita M. Podvalnyy,
• Sergey A. Staroverov,
• Leonid O. Kononov and
• Lev A. Dykman

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 480–493, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.39

• vaccines has been described by Parry and co-workers [37]. The authors observed that these nanomaterials generated a strong and long-lasting production of antibodies that are selective to the Tn-antigen glycan and cross-reactive toward mucin proteins displaying Tn. Other authors [33][42][47] used glyco-GNPs

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

• side effects [6]. Additionally, nanomedicines can encapsulate different types of hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs, and they can be designed to control their release profile [7]. Several other characteristics of nanomaterials such as size, material, shape, surface charge, hydrophobicity, roughness, and

• active targeting [9][10][11][12]. These surface-functionalized nanomaterials should be internalized preferentially by cells that overexpress the targeted receptors. Examples of targeting moieties often exploited in nanomedicine are transferrin and folate, which target tumour cells overexpressing the

• to reduce protein adsorption and corona formation. This can be achieved for instance by grafting hydrophilic polymers such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) on the surface of nanomedicines, or by introducing zwitterionic modifications to make nanomaterials almost neutral [42][43][44][45]. These

Facile biogenic fabrication of hydroxyapatite nanorods using cuttlefish bone and their bactericidal and biocompatibility study

• Satheeshkumar Balu,
• Manisha Vidyavathy Sundaradoss,
• Swetha Andra and
• Jaison Jeevanandam

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 285–295, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.21

• the morphology evaluation of the nanomaterials. The parameters were optimized based on the study by Casella et al. (2017), in which Hap nanoparticles were synthesized with various morphologies such as rods, hexagonal prisms, hollow flower structure, and microspheres by adjusting the reaction time [63

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

• the use of emergent nanomaterials. Over the last decade, a number of novel and optically active nanomaterials involving semiconductor or metal nanocrystals enabled the development of sensing devices with rather simple transduction mechanisms [3]. For example, the aggregation-induced color change of a

• below, we describe the working principles of biosensors that were designed for the detection of the primary tumor-specific aberrations listed in Table 2. Colloidal gold as a signal transducer in SNP detection With the increased diversity of available optically active nanomaterials, optical assays have

• , based on DNA molecular machines or enzyme-assisted processes, were the subject of constant improvements, the plasmonic component remains barely explored. However, a vast number of plasmonic nanomaterials with different shapes, sizes and compositions is commonly available, offering a broad range of

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

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

• functional DNA nanoarchitectonics to realize practical applications. Classical DNA nanotechnology: programmed molecular self-assembly of DNA The use of DNA as a building block for the construction of nanomaterials typically involves exploitation of the WC base pairing and predictability of the structural

• DNA was used to create nanostructured DNA materials [38][39]. The structural analysis of the self-assembled nanomaterials synthesized using junctional building blocks showed a compromised stability due to the sequence symmetry. The elimination of sequence symmetry is one of the most important criteria

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

• to 0.5 mg/mL in both models (Figure 5A). Despite the fragile nature of macrophages, the low toxicity seen for HA-coated chitosan nanoparticles is in accordance with what reported in RAW 264.7 macrophages for other HA-based nanomaterials, such as HA-coated liposomes [36] and a library of lipid

Advanced hybrid nanomaterials

• Andreas Taubert,
• Fabrice Leroux,
• Pierre Rabu and
• Verónica de Zea Bermudez

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2563–2567, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.247

• .10.247 Keywords: colloidal chemistry; environmental remediation; hybrid nanomaterials; nanocomposite; nanofillers; nanomedicine; nanostructures; polymer fillers; pore templating; smart materials; The Maya blue pigment that was used in Mexico during the VIIIth century is often given as a prototypical

• into a broad scientific and technological subject including important fields such as sol–gel chemistry [4][5], polymer nanocomposites [6][7], and hybrid nanomaterials [8][9]. Nowadays, hybrid materials are almost everywhere and provide a wide range of applications from biology and health, to photonic

• specialized experimental and theoretical techniques. This thematic issue clearly shows that “advanced hybrid nanomaterials” is not just hype, it is a real and powerful toolbox towards advanced materials for highly diverse fields, such as polymer nanocomposite, health and environment. Smart Materials and

Frontiers in pharmaceutical nanotechnology

• Matthias G. Wacker

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2538–2540, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.244

• commercial success, and consequently, the number of new therapies [7]. Nanotechnology comes in a thousand varieties and there is a rising number of “engineered nanomaterials” under development [1][8]. In this dedicated issue, we present some of the latest trends ranging from the synthesis of new materials [9

• , although the use of nanomaterials has generally increased, the number of approved nanomedicines is still very limited when compared to the tremendous research activity in this area [1]. Because nothing is older than yesterday’s newspaper, this editorial will take a look into the crystal ball. Nanomedicine

Synthesis and acetone sensing properties of ZnFe₂O₄/rGO gas sensors

• Kaidi Wu,
• Yifan Luo,
• Ying Li and
• Chao Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2516–2526, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.242

• , it may be possible to diagnose diabetes using a nondestructive testing technology based on sensing acetone. Thus, it is necessary to develop novel micro/nanomaterials, which can be applied as high-performance gas sensors to detect acetone at low concentration or to monitor variations of its

Small protein sequences can induce cellular uptake of complex nanohybrids

• Jan-Philip Merkl,
• Malak Safi,
• Christian Schmidtke,
• Fadi Aldeek,
• Johannes Ostermann,
• Tatiana Domitrovic,
• Sebastian Gärtner,
• John E. Johnson,
• Horst Weller and
• Hedi Mattoussi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2477–2482, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.238

• groups have investigated mechanisms for intracellular-uptake and in vivo biodistribution of various nanomaterials [9][10][11]. Due to the complexity of nanostructured materials combined with the intricacy of cell biology, it has been proven very difficult to develop a good understanding of what controls

• the processes involved in the intracellular uptake and ensuing distribution of various nanomaterials [9]. Several studies have consistently found that NPs are very often taken up by endocytosis, and once inside the cells they remain trapped within endosomal compartments [10][12]. A few other studies

pH-Controlled fluorescence switching in water-dispersed polymer brushes grafted to modified boron nitride nanotubes for cellular imaging

• Saban Kalay,
• Yurij Stetsyshyn,
• Volodymyr Donchak,
• Khrystyna Harhay,
• Ostap Lishchynskyi,
• Halyna Ohar,
• Yuriy Panchenko,
• Stanislav Voronov and
• Mustafa Çulha

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2428–2439, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.233

• Lviv, Ukraine 10.3762/bjnano.10.233 Abstract pH-Switchable, fluorescent, hybrid, water-dispersible nanomaterials based on boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) and grafted copolymer brushes (poly(acrylic acid-co-fluorescein acrylate) – P(AA-co-FA)) were successfully fabricated in a two-step process. The

• nanomaterials [1][2][3][4][5] to generate novel structures with tunable properties through external stimuli such as pH, temperature, light, and magnetic field [6][7][8][9][10]. Among other nanomaterials, significant research effort has been dedicated to the use of nanotubes [1][2][3][4][6][7][11][12][13][14][15

• previous work [12], BNNTs were functionalized with thermo-responsive poly-N-isopropylacrylamide (PNIPAM) and became dispersible in water. The hydrodynamic radius of PNIPAM-modified BNNTs was decreased two-fold at temperatures above 32 °C. Along with other nanomaterials, the various nanotubes were tested as

Coating of upconversion nanoparticles with silica nanoshells of 5–250 nm thickness

• Cynthia Kembuan,
• Maysoon Saleh,
• Bastian Rühle,
• Ute Resch-Genger and
• Christina Graf

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2410–2421, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.231

• -core particles are obtained. This strategy can be easily transferred to other nanomaterials for the design of plasmonic nanoconstructs and sensor systems. Keywords: reverse microemulsion; silica coating; stepwise growth; thick shells; upconversion nanoparticles; Introduction Lanthanide-based

• such as peptides, antibodies or nucleic acids for bioimaging applications or fluorescence assays. The growth of a mesoporous silica shell on a microporous silica shell can also be applied for the subsequent use of these nanomaterials for drug loading and delivery [69]. Experimental All syntheses were

Semitransparent Sb₂S₃ thin film solar cells by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis for use in solar windows

• Jako S. Eensalu,
• Atanas Katerski,
• Erki Kärber,
• Lothar Weinhardt,
• Monika Blum,
• Clemens Heske,
• Wanli Yang,
• Ilona Oja Acik and
• Malle Krunks

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2396–2409, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.230

• samples. For valuable discussions, J. S. E. thanks Dr. Arvo Mere from the Department of Cybernetics and Dr. Nicolae Spalatu from the Laboratory of Thin Film Chemical Technologies (TUT). Funding This work was supported by the Estonian Research Council project IUT19-4 “Thin films and nanomaterials by wet