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

Review of advanced sensor devices employing nanoarchitectonics concepts

• Katsuhiko Ariga,
• Tatsuyuki Makita,
• Masato Ito,
• Taizo Mori,
• Shun Watanabe and
• Jun Takeya

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 2014–2030, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.198

• , which is a novel conceptual methodology to engineer functional materials and systems from nanoscale units through the fusion of nanotechnology with other research fields, including organic chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, materials science and biology. In this review article, we discuss recent

• ; nanoarchitectonics; sensor; thin film; Review Introduction Detection systems for various chemical, physical, environmental, and biological targets, so-called sensors, have been continuously explored [1][2][3][4]. Although their usefulness was recognized even in the early stages of modern science and technology, the

• features [82]. Therefore, the design and fabrication of biosensors based on the nanoarchitectonics concept may have many particular advantages. In this review article, we first discuss several examples of recent progress in sensor systems whose advanced nanoarchitectonic design and fabrication allowed for

Materials nanoarchitectonics at two-dimensional liquid interfaces

• Katsuhiko Ariga,
• Michio Matsumoto,
• Taizo Mori and
• Lok Kumar Shrestha

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1559–1587, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.153

• emerging concept of nanoarchitectonics. In this review article, we overview recent research progresses on materials nanoarchitectonics at two-dimensional liquid interfaces, which are dimensionally restricted media with some freedoms of molecular motion. Specific characteristics of molecular interactions

• low-dimensional and specifically structured nanocarbons and their assemblies at liquid–liquid interfaces. Finally, interfacial nanoarchitectonics of biomaterials including the regulation of orientation and differentiation of living cells are explained. In the recent examples described in this review

• , various materials such as molecular machines, molecular receptors, block-copolymer, DNA origami, nanocarbon, phages, and stem cells were assembled at liquid interfaces by using various useful techniques. This review overviews techniques such as conventional Langmuir–Blodgett method, vortex Langmuir

Superconducting switching due to a triplet component in the Pb/Cu/Ni/Cu/Co₂Cr_1−xFe_xAl_y spin-valve structure

• Andrey Andreevich Kamashev,
• Nadir Nurgayazovich Garif’yanov,
• Aidar Azatovich Validov,
• Joachim Schumann,
• Vladislav Kataev,
• Bernd Büchner,
• Yakov Victorovich Fominov and
• Ilgiz Abdulsamatovich Garifullin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1458–1463, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.144

• the heterostuctures, which gave rise to the field of superconducting (SC) spintronics (for a review see [4]). The so-called superconducting spin valve (SSV) effect that can be used in SC spintronics was proposed theoretically for the first time by Oh et al. [5] and later on by Tagirov [6]. The

Energy distribution in an ensemble of nanoparticles and its consequences

• Dieter Vollath

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1452–1457, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.143

• temperature. Additionally, the data for gsolid ± kT [1][2], describing the limits of the fluctuations, are also given. The fluctuation limits defined by Equation 5 are indicated, too. The necessary thermodynamic data were taken from Arblaster’s review [3]. For the surface energy, in a first approximation, the

Photoactive nanoarchitectures based on clays incorporating TiO₂ and ZnO nanoparticles

• Eduardo Ruiz-Hitzky,
• Pilar Aranda,
• Marwa Akkari,
• Nithima Khaorapapong and
• Makoto Ogawa

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 1140–1156, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.114

• dioxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles with clay minerals to give diverse clay–semiconductor nanoarchitectures are summarized and critically discussed in this review article. The possibility to use clay minerals as starting components showing different morphologies, such as layered, fibrous, or tubular

• ; nanoarchitectures; photocatalysts; titanium dioxide; zinc dioxide; Review Introduction: immobilization of nanoscale TiO2 and ZnO on clay minerals Nanoarchitectonics is a term coined by Japan's National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), which refers to the nanoscale design of complex materials through a deep

In situ AFM visualization of Li–O₂ battery discharge products during redox cycling in an atmospherically controlled sample cell

• Kumar Virwani,
• Younes Ansari,
• Khanh Nguyen,
• Francisco José Alía Moreno-Ortiz,
• Jangwoo Kim,
• Maxwell J. Giammona,
• Ho-Cheol Kim and
• Young-Hye La

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 930–940, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.94

• deposition [3], corrosion and molecular adsorbates on a variety of surfaces [4] have also been investigated with scanning probe microscopy. In situ local probe techniques at electrical interfaces [5] use scanning probe microscopy to probe surface changes and reactions. A recent review by Yang et al. [6

Capillary force-induced superlattice variation atop a nanometer-wide graphene flake and its moiré origin studied by STM

• Loji K. Thomas and
• Michael Reichling

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 804–810, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.80

• summarized in a review elsewhere [24]. There have been reports both in support [21][25] as well as against [26][27] the simple moiré theory. Changes of the superlattice periodicity in space [25] and time [17] have been reported before. However, there has been no report on a real-time observation of a change

Deposition of metal particles onto semiconductor nanorods using an ionic liquid

• Michael D. Ballentine,
• Elizabeth G. Embry,
• Marco A. Garcia and
• Lawrence J. Hill

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 718–724, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.71

• ] using Pt(acac)2 and an ammonium bromide [31], and a mechanism involving the acetylacetonate ligands was suggested in a subsequent review article [15]. Additionally, a carbene mechanism involving the imidazolium cation could also contribute to the reduction mechanism [32], as proposed for Pd

Review of time-resolved non-contact electrostatic force microscopy techniques with applications to ionic transport measurements

• Aaron Mascaro,
• Yoichi Miyahara,
• Tyler Enright,
• Omur E. Dagdeviren and
• Peter Grütter

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 617–633, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.62

• atomic force microscopy. Here, we review in detail several time-resolved EFM techniques based on non-contact atomic force microscopy, elaborating on their specific limitations and challenges. We also introduce a new experimental technique that can resolve time-varying signals well below the oscillation

• to develop a clear picture of the underlying mechanisms that govern them. This requires an extensive toolbox of experimental techniques of which EFM-based ones will most certainly play an essential role. In this review we explore in detail several techniques that allow for time-resolved electrostatic

• implementations and analyses, we have restricted our review to exclude all pump–probe and KPFM techniques as these are generally unsuitable for probing ionic transport. For a recent review of all KPFM and related techniques, we refer the reader to [21]. We begin by describing the direct time-domain method and its

Biomimetic synthesis of Ag-coated glasswing butterfly arrays as ultra-sensitive SERS substrates for efficient trace detection of pesticides

• Guochao Shi,
• Mingli Wang,
• Yanying Zhu,
• Yuhong Wang,
• Xiaoya Yan,
• Xin Sun,
• Haijun Xu and
• Wanli Ma

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 578–588, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.59

• with the accepted ethical standards and were approved by the Ethical Review Board of Yanshan University on 15 January 2018. Crystal violet was supplied by Key Laboratory for Microstructural Material Physics of Hebei Province. Acephate and ethanol were of analytical grade and obtained from J&K

Targeting strategies for improving the efficacy of nanomedicine in oncology

• Gonzalo Villaverde and
• Alejandro Baeza

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 168–181, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.16

• targeting strategies. In this review, recent advances in the development of targeted nanoparticles will be described with the aim to present the current state of the art of this technology and its huge potential in the oncological field. Keywords: antitumoral therapy; nanomedicine; smart nanocarriers

• specific organelles such as mitochondria or the nucleus. In this review, some of the recent advances of the different targeting approaches investigated in the last years will be presented. Additionally, the development of sophisticated strategies that allow for the sequential targeting of cells and

• organelles, or tissues and cells, as well as the employ of hierarchical targeting will also be described to provide an insight about the great potency of targeted nanomedicines in antitumoral therapy. Review Passive targeting based on the EPR effect As mentioned above, the use of nanoparticles in oncology

Nanoporous water oxidation electrodes with a low loading of laser-deposited Ru/C exhibit enhanced corrosion stability

• Sandra Haschke,
• Dmitrii Pankin,
• Vladimir Mikhailovskii,
• Maïssa K. S. Barr,
• Adriana Both-Engel,
• Alina Manshina and
• Julien Bachmann

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 157–167, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.15

• contact on flat and nanostructured substrates demonstrated that the presence of ITO is irrelevant to the electrochemical performance. Selected oxygen evolution activities for planar state-of-the-art electrode materials (adapted from a review by Cook et al.) [9]. The overpotential η is shown here as a

Electrolyte tuning in dye-sensitized solar cells with N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) iron(II) sensitizers

• Mariia Karpacheva,
• Catherine E. Housecroft and
• Edwin C. Constable

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 3069–3078, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.285

• realized with ruthenium-based [2], zinc(II) porphyrin-based [5][6][7][8][9] or metal-free organic dyes [10][11][12]. In a recent review [2], Nazeeruddin points to the fact that only incremental enhancements of the photoconversion efficiencies of ruthenium dyes have occurred during the last two decades

Femtosecond laser-assisted fabrication of chalcopyrite micro-concentrator photovoltaics

• Franziska Ringleb,
• Stefan Andree,
• Berit Heidmann,
• Jörn Bonse,
• Katharina Eylers,
• Owen Ernst,
• Torsten Boeck,
• Martina Schmid and
• Jörg Krüger

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 3025–3038, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.281

• patterning; laser-induced forward transfer; micro-concentrator solar cell; photovoltaics; Review Introduction In the field of renewable energies, the largest growth by far on a global scale in 2015/2016 took place in photovoltaics. However, the share of renewables in total energy consumption has recently

• for low-cost solar power. In the present review, we provide an overview about research carried out on micro-concentrator solar cells – a new cell concept that has been emerging in recent years – using Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGSe) as absorber material. The review focuses on two different laser-based

• manner. In the first part of this review regarding the fabrication of metallic precursors both approaches are discussed separately. The resulting challenges to process the precursors to microabsorbers and to produce functioning solar cells from these, however, were solved in an analogous manner and are