Nanotribology

• Enrico Gnecco,
• Susan Perkin,
• Andrea Vanossi and
• Ernst Meyer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2330–2331, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.217

• achieve our goals. For this reason, the research articles in this Thematic Series are complemented by a rather comprehensive but concise review paper [11], which was born out of the collaboration of nine researchers (experimentalists and theoreticians) within the European COST Action MP 1303

Surface energy of nanoparticles – influence of particle size and structure

• Dieter Vollath,
• Franz Dieter Fischer and
• David Holec

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2265–2276, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.211

• layer; Review Introduction With respect to the thermodynamics of small particles, the surface energy is an essential, and in many cases the dominant, quantity. Therefore, it is astonishing that so much uncertainty remains about this physical quantity. The concept of surface energy was introduced by

Lead-free hybrid perovskites for photovoltaics

• Oleksandr Stroyuk

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2209–2235, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.207

• Oleksandr Stroyuk Physikalische Chemie, Technische Universität Dresden, 01062 Dresden, Germany and L.V. Pysarzhevsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine 10.3762/bjnano.9.207 Abstract This review covers the state-of-the-art in organo–inorganic lead-free hybrid

• . This review also discusses HP materials produced by isovalent lead(II) substitution with Sn2+ and other metal(II) ions, perovskite materials formed on the basis of M3+ cations (Sb3+, Bi3+) as well as on combinations of M+/M3+ ions aliovalent to 2Pb2+ (Ag+/Bi3+, Ag+/Sb3+, etc.). The survey is concluded

• with an outlook highlighting the most promising strategies for future progress of photovoltaic systems based on lead-free perovskite compounds. Keywords: light harvesting; low-toxic materials; organo-inorganic perovskites; solar cells; Review Introduction The field of photovoltaics and photochemical

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

• in everyday life. Herein, we review recent developments of gas sensors based on electrospun 1D nanostructures in different sensing platforms, including optical, conductometric and acoustic resonators. After explaining the principle of electrospinning, we classify sensors based on the type of

• benefits and limitations for every approach. Keywords: 1D nanostructures; conductometric devices; electrospinning; gas sensors; optical sensors; resonators; Review 1 Introduction The monitoring and control of air pollutants, toxic gases and explosives has become increasingly important for human wellness

• nanofibers are highly attractive as ultrasensitive sensors [42]. To date, many excellent review articles on the fabrication, alignment and application of electrospun nanofibers have been published [32][37][39][40]. However, to the best of our knowledge, a modern, comprehensive review on gas sensing

Metal-free catalysis based on nitrogen-doped carbon nanomaterials: a photoelectron spectroscopy point of view

• Mattia Scardamaglia and
• Carla Bittencourt

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2015–2031, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.191

• Mattia Scardamaglia Carla Bittencourt Chemistry of Plasma Surface Interactions (ChIPS), University of Mons, Belgium 10.3762/bjnano.9.191 Abstract In this review, we discuss the use of doped carbon nanomaterials in catalysis, a subject that is currently intensively studied. The availability of

• carbon nanotubes since the 1990’s and of graphene ten years later prompted the development of novel nanotechnologies. We review this topic linking fundamental surface science to the field of catalysis giving a timely picture of the state of the art. The main scientific questions that material scientists

• mechanism of nitrogen-doped carbon nanostructures is still under intense debate. In this review, we link the fundamental electronic properties to the catalytic performance from a photoelectron spectroscopy point of view. We focus on the discussion of the inherent ORR activity of nitrogen-doped graphene and

Recent highlights in nanoscale and mesoscale friction

• Andrea Vanossi,
• Dirk Dietzel,
• Andre Schirmeisen,
• Ernst Meyer,
• Rémy Pawlak,
• Thilo Glatzel,
• Marcin Kisiel,
• Shigeki Kawai and
• Nicola Manini

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1995–2014, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.190

• and control of friction is increasingly recognized to involve all relevant size and time scales. We review here some recent advances on the research focusing of nano- and mesoscale tribology phenomena. These advances are currently pursued in a multifaceted approach starting from the fundamental atomic

• deliver concrete breakthroughs in applications. The state of the art of the field advancement in the early 2010’s and the fundamentals of theory, simulations, and experimental techniques were assessed in a few review works and volumes [4][5][6][7][8]. In the years 2013–2017, the European Union has

• sponsored a collaborative effort in this field, through COST Action MP1303. The resulting flourishing international collaboration has led to remarkable progress of this field. The present review summarizes the most relevant results in fundamental tribology from the past five years, with focus of those

The inhibition effect of water on the purification of natural gas with nanoporous graphene membranes

• Krzysztof Nieszporek,
• Tomasz Pańczyk and
• Jolanta Nieszporek

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1906–1916, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.182

• interesting review on carbon- and nitrogen-based materials [10]. Hauser and Schwerdtfeger [11] studied theoretically the ability of functionalized graphene nanopores to separate methane from air. Recently, Guerrero-Avilés and Orellana performed ab initio MD simulations to study the interactions between

Tunable fractional Fourier transform implementation of electronic wave functions in atomically thin materials

• Daniela Dragoman

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1828–1833, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.174

• boundary conditions by patterned electrodes and/or gate electrodes, such as encountered in 2DEG electron-optics experiments (see [18] for a review). Alternatively, nonintentional potential inhomogeneities within the sample can influence the spatial distribution of the wave function. On the other hand

Increasing the performance of a superconducting spin valve using a Heusler alloy

• Andrey A. Kamashev,
• Aidar A. Validov,
• Joachim Schumann,
• Vladislav Kataev,
• Bernd Büchner,
• Yakov V. Fominov and
• Ilgiz A. Garifullin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1764–1769, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.167

• of ΔTc of the SSV effect of 20 mK and 40 mK for the two types of the S layer, respectively, was substantially smaller as expected on theoretical grounds. Recently the interest on SSVs increased considerably (see the review in [18] and the very recent publications [19][20][21][22][23][24]). Here, we

Multimodal noncontact atomic force microscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy investigations of organolead tribromide perovskite single crystals

• Yann Almadori,
• David Moerman,
• Jaume Llacer Martinez,
• Philippe Leclère and
• Benjamin Grévin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1695–1704, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.161

• oxides, it originates indirectly from the superposition of photovoltaic and converse piezoelectricity effects (we refer the reader to review articles [18] for a more comprehensive introduction to the field of photostrictive materials). The photostriction observed by a few teams in organolead trialides is

Absence of free carriers in silicon nanocrystals grown from phosphorus- and boron-doped silicon-rich oxide and oxynitride

• Daniel Hiller,
• Julian López-Vidrier,
• Keita Nomoto,
• Michael Wahl,
• Wolfgang Bock,
• Tomáš Chlouba,
• František Trojánek,
• Sebastian Gutsch,
• Margit Zacharias,
• Dirk König,
• Petr Malý and
• Michael Kopnarski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1501–1511, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.141

• the effects described above will appear. Si NCs of a few nanometres in diameter (i.e., quantum dots) represent a good model system to study doping at the nanoscale. They can be fabricated by various methods [7][8][9] and doped either during growth [7] or post-growth [10]. A recent review provides a

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

• considerable attention. The applications of photocatalysis, such as water splitting, CO2 reduction, pollutant degradation, organic transformation reactions, N2 fixation, etc., towards solving the energy crisis and environmental issues are briefly discussed in the Introduction of this review. The advantages of

• TiO2 as a photocatalyst and the importance of its modification for photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI) has also been addressed. In this review, the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 after modification with carbon-based advanced materials, metal oxides, metal sulfides and noble metals towards reduction of

• practical applications in remediation of Cr(VI) from wastewater were addressed in the Conclusion section as well. The future perspectives of the field presented in this review are focused on the development of whole-solar-spectrum responsive, TiO2-coupled photocatalysts which provide efficient

Formation mechanisms of boron oxide films fabricated by large-area electron beam-induced deposition of trimethyl borate

• Aiden A. Martin and
• Philip J. Depond

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1282–1287, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.120

• interest include carbon, silicon, various oxides, and a wide range of metals including gold, platinum and chromium (for a comprehensive list of materials and precursors please refer to the review by Utke et al. [10]). Conventional research has shown the efficient deposition of continuous films on the scale

Understanding the performance and mechanism of Mg-containing oxides as support catalysts in the thermal dry reforming of methane

• Nor Fazila Khairudin,
• Mohd Farid Fahmi Sukri,
• Mehrnoush Khavarian and
• Abdul Rahman Mohamed

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1162–1183, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.108

• (synthetic gas) production and co-utilization of methane and carbon dioxide, which are the main greenhouse gases. Magnesium is commonly applied in a Ni-based catalyst in DRM to improve catalyst performance and inhibit carbon deposition. The aim of this review is to gain better insight into recent

• conditions, influence the dry reforming reactions and product yields. In this review, different strategies for enhancing catalytic activity and the effect of metal dispersion on Mg-containing oxide catalysts are highlighted. Keywords: carbon formation; catalyst development; dry reforming of methane

• ; magnesium catalyst; mechanism; Review Introduction Global warming is a present critical issue resulting from the excessive production of greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide and methane (CO2 and CH4). This phenomenon is attributed to human dependence on fossil fuels to meet the high energy demands

Review on nanoparticles and nanostructured materials: history, sources, toxicity and regulations

• Jaison Jeevanandam,
• Ahmed Barhoum,
• Yen S. Chan,
• Alain Dufresne and
• Michael K. Danquah

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1050–1074, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.98

• industrial applications, issues relating to toxicity are inevitable. The aim of this review is to compare synthetic (engineered) and naturally occurring nanoparticles (NPs) and nanostructured materials (NSMs) to identify their nanoscale properties and to define the specific knowledge gaps related to the risk

• assessment of NPs and NSMs in the environment. The review presents an overview of the history and classifications of NMs and gives an overview of the various sources of NPs and NSMs, from natural to synthetic, and their toxic effects towards mammalian cells and tissue. Additionally, the types of toxic

• reactions associated with NPs and NSMs and the regulations implemented by different countries to reduce the associated risks are also discussed. Keywords: nanomaterial classification; nanomaterial history; nanotoxicity; oxidative stress; reactive oxygen species; regulations; Review Introduction

Magnetic characterization of cobalt nanowires and square nanorings fabricated by focused electron beam induced deposition

• Federico Venturi,
• Gian Carlo Gazzadi,
• Amir H. Tavabi,
• Alberto Rota,
• Rafal E. Dunin-Borkowski and
• Stefano Frabboni

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1040–1049, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.97

• high spatial resolution. Moreover, it is also possible to deposit oxides [10] and, by co-injecting different precursors, alloy materials with tunable properties [11]. A review of the application of the technique to the deposition of magnetic nanostructures has recently been published [12]. It should be

Bioinspired self-healing materials: lessons from nature

• Joseph C. Cremaldi and
• Bharat Bhushan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 907–935, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.85

• avenues of insight and research into self-healing materials. Keywords: animals; biomimetics, bioinspired; capsules; functional coatings; healing mechanisms; plants; protective surfaces; self-healing; vascular systems; Review Introduction The ability to heal is intrinsic to all multicellular organisms

• that losing a leg would affect the survival of a gazelle. The aim of this review is to understand healing and the defense mechanisms seen in living nature and apply them to bioinspired approaches in engineering. While individual cells and single-celled organisms have the ability to heal [12], they

• mainly rely on high reproductive (cell division) rates and short life spans (fast evolution) for proliferation and survival. This review focuses on the multicellular plant and animal organisms, whose healing goal is homeostasis, or the body’s attempt to maintain itself. Homeostasis is defined as a

Comparative study of antibacterial properties of polystyrene films with TiO_x and Cu nanoparticles fabricated using cluster beam technique

• Vladimir N. Popok,
• Cesarino M. Jeppesen,
• Peter Fojan,
• Anna Kuzminova,
• Jan Hanuš and
• Ondřej Kylián

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 861–869, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.80

• the particles with the microorganisms leading to a much better bactericidal efficiency. However, the studies presented in this review showed that the TiOx suspensions under UV irradiation need to be active up to 120 min to provide the highest efficiency [19]. In our studies, we have seen that the

Graphene composites with dental and biomedical applicability

• Sharali Malik,
• Felicite M. Ruddock,
• Adam H. Dowling,
• Kevin Byrne,
• Wolfgang Schmitt,
• Ivan Khalakhan,
• Yoshihiro Nemoto,
• Hongxuan Guo,
• Lok Kumar Shrestha,
• Katsuhiko Ariga and
• Jonathan P. Hill

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 801–808, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.73

• – this is a significant increase. A recent review [8] concluded that despite the developments in GI powder and poly(acrylic acid) constituents they still had inferior mechanical properties compared with dental amalgam and resin based composites. They go on to say that major improvements have yet to be

A review of carbon-based and non-carbon-based catalyst supports for the selective catalytic reduction of nitric oxide

• Shahreen Binti Izwan Anthonysamy,
• Syahidah Binti Afandi,
• Mehrnoush Khavarian and
• Abdul Rahman Bin Mohamed

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 740–761, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.68

• catalyst supports for nitric oxide (NO) removal through selective catalytic reduction (SCR) with ammonia are examined in this review. A number of carbon-based materials, such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), activated carbon (AC), and graphene (GR) and non-carbon-based materials, such as Zeolite Socony Mobil–5

• (ZSM-5), TiO2, and Al2O3 supported materials, were identified as the most up-to-date and recently used catalysts for the removal of NO gas. The main focus of this review is the study of catalyst preparation methods, as this is highly correlated to the behaviour of NO removal. The general mechanisms

• of the SCR-NH3 catalyst are suggested. Keywords: carbon-based catalyst support; Eley–Riedeal mechanism; Langmuir–Hinshelwood mechanism; nitric oxide; non-carbon-based catalyst support; selective catalytic reduction; Review Introduction Nowadays, air pollution has become a major environmental

Dynamics and fragmentation mechanism of (C₅H₄CH₃)Pt(CH₃)₃ on SiO₂ surfaces

• Kaliappan Muthukumar,
• Harald O. Jeschke and
• Roser Valentí

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 711–720, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.66

• layer deposition (ALD) conditions are available [12]. The studies in this review fairly agree that (1) the presence of surface hydroxyl groups are the source for protons that help in the evolution of H2, CH4 and H2O during the deposition process, and (2) the molecules dissociate or associate through a

Mechanistic insights into plasmonic photocatalysts in utilizing visible light

• Kah Hon Leong,
• Azrina Abd Aziz,
• Lan Ching Sim,
• Pichiah Saravanan,
• Min Jang and
• Detlef Bahnemann

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 628–648, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.59

• that can be of value to the society through sustainable development derived through energy available for all for diverse applications. We have comprehensively prepared this review to specifically focus on fundamental insights into plasmonic photocatalysts, various synthesis routes, together with their

• strengths and weaknesses, and the interaction of the plasmonic photocatalyst with pollutants as well as the role of active radical generation and identification. The review ends with a pinnacle insight into future perspectives regarding realistic applications of plasmonic photocatalysts. Keywords

• : localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR); noble metal; plasmonic photocatalyst; reactive radicals; Schottky junctions; visible light; Review Introduction Photocatalysts have played and will continue to play a pivotal role in environmental and energy applications in order to fulfil the needs of the

Electron interactions with the heteronuclear carbonyl precursor H₂FeRu₃(CO)₁₃ and comparison with HFeCo₃(CO)₁₂: from fundamental gas phase and surface science studies to focused electron beam induced deposition

• Ragesh Kumar T P,
• Paul Weirich,
• Lukas Hrachowina,
• Marc Hanefeld,
• Ragnar Bjornsson,
• Helgi Rafn Hrodmarsson,
• Sven Barth,
• D. Howard Fairbrother,
• Michael Huth and
• Oddur Ingólfsson

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 555–579, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.53

• account of the nature of these processes, their energy dependence and the resulting product formation in relation to their role in FEBID is given in a recent review by Thorman et al. [22]. A more general, and detailed account on the nature of these processes can be found in [23][24][25][26][27][28][29

Engineering of oriented carbon nanotubes in composite materials

• Razieh Beigmoradi,
• Abdolreza Samimi and
• Davod Mohebbi-Kalhori

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 415–435, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.41

• , they are considered by some as the preferred technique for engineering of oriented CNTs. This review focuses on recent progress in the improvement of the orientation and alignment of CNTs in composite materials. Moreover, the advantages and disadvantages of the processes are discussed as well as their

• future outlook. Keywords: arrangement and alignment; carbon nanotubes; composite materials; orientation; Review Introduction Carbon is one of the most abundant elements comprising the world around us. Before 1985 graphite and diamond were the only known structural forms of carbon [1]. In 1991, Iijima

• nanoparticles on the substrate leads to growth of CNT masses in regular rows. In the second category, the arrangement occurs after growth. There have been several review articles written about the alignment methods of CNTs [6][31][32][33][34][35]. However, most of these focus on the synthesis of aligned CNTs

Review: Electrostatically actuated nanobeam-based nanoelectromechanical switches – materials solutions and operational conditions

• Liga Jasulaneca,
• Jelena Kosmaca,
• Raimonds Meija,
• Jana Andzane and
• Donats Erts

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 271–300, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.29

• Liga Jasulaneca Jelena Kosmaca Raimonds Meija Jana Andzane Donats Erts Institute of Chemical Physics Department of Chemistry, University of Latvia, Raina Blvd. 19, Riga, LV-1586, Latvia 10.3762/bjnano.9.29 Abstract This review summarizes relevant research in the field of electrostatically

• : nanocontacts; nanoelectromechanical switches; nanowires; NEM; reliability; Review Introduction Nanoelectromechanical (NEM) switches represent a class of nanoscale devices, integrating both electrical and mechanical functionality of nanostructures to process external stimuli applied to the device and

• actuated single- or double-clamped nanobeams are used as switching elements have great potential for architecture modification of the device and are widely used in development of NEM contact switch prototypes. The aim of this work is to review recent research carried out on electrostatically actuated