Gold nanoparticle-decorated reduced graphene oxide as a highly effective catalyst for the selective α,β-dehydrogenation of N-alkyl-4-piperidones

• Brenda Flore Kenyim,
• Mihir Tzalis,
• Marilyn Kaul,
• Robert Oestreich,
• Aysenur Limon,
• Chancellin Pecheu Nkepdep and
• Christoph Janiak

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 218–238, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.15

• tunability, making AuNPs highly versatile in catalytic applications [5][6]. Traditional ligands such as thiols and citrates are commonly used in the synthesis of AuNPs due to their ability to control particle size, prevent aggregation, and enhance stability in solution [7]. Also, polyoxometalates (POMs) have

• emerged as stabilizing ligands for nanoparticles offering distinct structural and electronic advantages. They are widely utilized in various catalytic processes, including oxidation, acid–base, and photocatalysis [8][9] POMs have been extensively employed for stabilizing and decorating small metal

• coated with strong ligands that provide initial stability over time, ligand desorption, ligand exchange, or environmental factors such as pH and ionic strength can weaken the protective layer, leading to nanoparticle aggregation or structural degradation [14][15]. An important aspect of expensive noble

Influence of surface characteristics on the in vitro stability and cell uptake of nanoliposomes for brain delivery

• Dushko Shalabalija,
• Ljubica Mihailova,
• Nikola Geskovski,
• Andreas Zimmer,
• Otmar Geiss,
• Sabrina Gioria,
• Diletta Scaccabarozzi and
• Marija Glavas Dodov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 139–158, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.9

• to less efficient binding with protein targets that would work as ligands for receptor-mediated transport and delivery, finally resulting in partial inhibition and reduction of cellular uptake ([24]). Taken into consideration all aforementioned, it can be summarized that cellular transport and

Development and in vitro evaluation of liposomes and immunoliposomes containing 5-fluorouracil and R-phycoerythrin as a potential phototheranostic system for colorectal cancer

• Raissa Rodrigues Camelo,
• Vivianne Cortez Sombra Vandesmet,
• Octavio Vital Baccallini,
• José de Brito Vieira Neto,
• Thais da Silva Moreira,
• Luzia Kalyne Almeida Moreira Leal,
• Claudia Pessoa,
• Daniel Giuliano Cerri,
• Maria Vitória Lopes Badra Bentley,
• Josimar O. Eloy,
• Ivanildo José da Silva Júnior and
• Raquel Petrilli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 97–121, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.7

• rearrangements in the lipid bilayer, increasing its fluidity and consequently facilitating the insertion of ligands onto the surface, in agreement with previous findings [50]. However, increasing the DOPE concentration did not enhance conjugation efficiency. In the IM-D08 formulation, where the DOPE

Chiral plasmonic nanostructures fabricated with circularly polarized light

• Tian Qiao and
• Ming Lee Tang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2245–2264, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.154

• with large g-factors. Section 2.3 will address this issue with the strategy of modifying the surface ligands on PNSs to create chiral PNSs. The non-radiative decay of hot carriers can heat the PNSs. Due to the high thermal conductivity of metals, isolated PNSs usually feature uniform temperature

• nanostructures in Figure 4b. No NP seeds nor organic ligands were used to obtain the chiral nanostructures in Figure 4c. The authors of the original paper commented that these nanostructures were difficult to classify into left- or right-handedness. When Au nanocubes were immobilized on ITO substrates, chiral Au

Optical bio/chemical sensors for vitamin B₁₂ analysis in food and pharmaceuticals: state of the art, challenges, and future outlooks

• Seyed Mohammad Taghi Gharibzahedi and
• Zeynep Altintas

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2207–2244, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.153

Ultrathin water layers on mannosylated gold nanoparticles

• Maiara A. Iriarte Alonso,
• Jorge H. Melillo,
• Silvina Cerveny,
• Yujin Tong and
• Alexander M. Bittner

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2183–2198, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.151

• hydrophobic tips. While VSFG indicated preferential hydration of the dimannoside and proved conformational changes in the organic ligands, AFM provided sub-nanometer changes in particle topography due to water adsorption. In general, the dimannoside nanoparticles condense ultrathin water layers upon humidity

• and stability in solution, in terms of hydrodynamic diameter and NP surface charge, respectively. Spectroscopy techniques were used to analyze the chemical composition of the organic ligands locally. We used FTIR for the molecular fingerprint infrared region to find the characteristic peaks of the

• not possible inside the NPs, but inside the ligand sphere, especially between dimannoside groups, but possibly also between PEG chains. The resulting expansion of the ligands cannot be distinguished from adsorption of water, that is, when water molecules are selectively placed on the ligands. In

Toward clinical translation of carbon nanomaterials in anticancer drug delivery: the need for standardisation

• Michał Bartkowski,
• Francesco Calzaferri and
• Silvia Giordani

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2092–2104, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.144

• to maintain the desired therapeutic and safety profiles. Assessing this aspect includes quantifying the density and distribution of attached ligands or therapeutic agents. In addition to evaluating the NMs themselves, the manufacturing process must be carefully monitored. Reproducibility, scalability

Laser ablation in liquids for shape-tailored synthesis of nanomaterials: status and challenges

• Natalie Tarasenka

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1963–1997, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.137

• at specific facets of seed NPs can be expected to be governed by the decrease of surface free energy [36][37]. The density and binding energy of the ligands can significantly differ for different crystal planes. As a result of specific adsorption, the crystal facets with adsorbed ions become blocked

• ], where high ligand density led to truncated octahedral PbSe nanostructures, while reduced surface ligand concentration (achieved by washing) resulted in cubic structures. This result shows that addition or removal of surface ligands may result in nanocrystals of different shapes. The length of organic

• chains in stabilizing ligands influences particle–particle coupling; therefore, the exchange of stabilizing agents will influence the overall shape of nanomaterials [43][44]. Further surface engineering by the control of ligand–ligand interactions can result in the formation of novel nanoarchitectures

Evaluating metal-organic precursors for focused ion beam-induced deposition through solid-layer decomposition analysis

• Benedykt R. Jany,
• Katarzyna Madajska,
• Aleksandra Butrymowicz-Kubiak,
• Franciszek Krok and
• Iwona B. Szymańska

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1942–1951, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.135

• . EIMS reveals how ligands respond to electron irradiation; simple molecules such as CO and CO2 detach cleanly, making them “favorable” in FEBID. In contrast, anionic or polyhapto ligands, such as cyclopentadienyl (Cp) or allyl fragments, readily fragment form CxHy matrices, leading to film contamination

• carboxylate ligands (compounds 1–4), as well as νas(NH2), ν(=NH), δ(NH2), and ν(N=C−N) bands of coordinated amidine ligands for complex 2 (Figure 1b and Supporting Information File 1, Table S1) confirming the formation of suitable layers of the studied complexes. SEM operating in secondary electron mode

PEGylated lipids in lipid nanoparticle delivery dynamics and therapeutic innovation

• Peiyang Gao

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1914–1930, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.133

• targeted LNP cellular uptake To overcome the reduced cellular uptake associated with high PEG density, functionalized PEG lipids can be utilized as chemical handles for the conjugation of small molecules as targeting ligands [34]. For instance, maleimide-PEG lipids are widely used for thiol-mediated

• enhanced accumulation in placental immune cells [49]. These findings further demonstrated that conjugating ligands to functionalized PEG lipids can enhance cellular uptake in targeted LNP delivery [47][49][50]. Interestingly, a recent study showed that, even in the absence of a ligand, functionalized PEG

• effect on uptake or transfection efficiency, suggesting limited interaction enhancement through that functional group. This study highlights that even without ligands, functionalized PEG lipids may be able to modulate LNP surface interactions and biodistribution, though the effect strongly depends on

Exploring the potential of polymers: advancements in oral nanocarrier technology

• Rousilândia de Araujo Silva,
• Igor Eduardo Silva Arruda,
• Luise Lopes Chaves,
• Mônica Felts de La Roca Soares and
• Jose Lamartine Soares Sobrinho

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1751–1793, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.122

Advances of aptamers in esophageal cancer diagnosis, treatment and drug delivery

• Yang Fei,
• Hui Xu,
• Chunwei Zhang,
• Jingjing Wang and
• Yong Jin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1734–1750, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.121

• obstacles to their safe application. Hence, ongoing research explores strategies to optimize the solubility and targeting ability of anti-EC drugs, and aptamers [25] represent a distinct class of molecular tools. Aptamers are small nucleotide or peptide sequences screened by “systematic evolution of ligands

• evolution of ligands by SELEX; (3) validate binding affinity and functional modulation in vitro and in vivo models; and (4) elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms (Figure 4). At present, significant progress has been made in peptide aptamers targeting SOX2 protein or its binding partner, aptamers

Prospects of nanotechnology and natural products for cancer and immunotherapy

• Jan Filipe Andrade Santos,
• Marcela Bernardes Brasileiro,
• Pamela Danielle Cavalcante Barreto,
• Ligiane Aranha Rocha and
• José Adão Carvalho Nascimento Júnior

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1644–1667, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.116

• nanoparticles Gold nanoparticles are nanometer-scale structures composed of a gold core with surface ligands, which can be structured into nanospheres, nanocages, nanorods, and nanoshells [146][147]. There are various manufacturing processes such as vacuum sputtering, biosynthesis, methods based on ultraviolet

• polymeric membranes, non-ionic surfactants, macromolecules, and phospholipids [176][177]. The properties of the pharmaceutical form are governed by size, shape, core structure, and ligands, which can alter factors such as solubility, charge density, hydrophobicity, stability, and binding affinity [178]. The

Venom-loaded cationic-functionalized poly(lactic acid) nanoparticles for serum production against Tityus serrulatus scorpion

• Philippe de Castro Mesquita,
• Karla Samara Rocha Soares,
• Manoela Torres-Rêgo,
• Emanuell dos Santos-Silva,
• Mariana Farias Alves-Silva,
• Alianda Maira Cornélio,
• Matheus de Freitas Fernandes-Pedrosa and
• Arnóbio Antônio da Silva-Júnior

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1633–1643, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.115

• nanoparticles can be modified to achieve high protein loading or avoid a rapid cellular uptake. Using different strategies, nanoparticles have been functionalized with a variety of ligands such as small molecules, surfactants, polymers, and biomolecules [21][22]. The use of cationic molecules, as

Nanotechnology-based approaches for the removal of microplastics from wastewater: a comprehensive review

• Nayanathara O Sanjeev,
• Manjunath Singanodi Vallabha and
• Rebekah Rubidha Lisha Rabi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1607–1632, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.114

• multidentate or bidentate organic ligands. Sometimes MOFs are referred to as porous coordination polymers. MOFs are created by combining clusters or metallic ions with inorganic or organic ligands. The metallic component consists of metal ions or clusters with organic or inorganic ligands like sulfonate

Cross-reactivities in conjugation reactions involving iron oxide nanoparticles

• Shoronia N. Cross,
• Katalin V. Korpany,
• Hanine Zakaria and
• Amy Szuchmacher Blum

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1504–1521, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.106

• ]. Indeed, the versatility of this coupling reaction has led to numerous reports of its use with IONPs, through surface functionalization with either thiols or maleimides [10][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39]. The IONP surface can also be capped with disulfide ligands, such as glutathione disulfide (GSSG

• is also assumed that the multifunctional ligands used for the stabilization of the IONPs themselves bind with a single binding mode, which may be an incorrect assumption that can impact downstream functionalization [42]. For the purposes of multifunctional IONPs, which can possess complex, modular

• surface chemistries, these considerations are especially important. The reactivity of the iron oxide surface itself is often neglected, but it should be noted that the use of thiols [43][44][45][46] and amines [47][48] as anchoring groups for IONP ligands has been reported in the literature, so it is

Nanomaterials for biomedical applications

• Iqra Zainab,
• Zohra Naseem,
• Syeda Rubab Batool,
• Filippo Pierini,
• Seda Kizilel and
• Muhammad Anwaar Nazeer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1499–1503, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.105

• react to certain bodily conditions, for example, changes in pH or enzymes. As a result, drugs only target affected parts of the body, lowering the damage to healthy cells. Additionally, the surface of these nanoparticles can be modified by attaching antibodies or ligands, which allows these

Laser processing in liquids: insights into nanocolloid generation and thin film integration for energy, photonic, and sensing applications

• Akshana Parameswaran Sreekala,
• Pooja Raveendran Nair,
• Jithin Kundalam Kadavath,
• Bindu Krishnan,
• David Avellaneda Avellaneda,
• M. R. Anantharaman and
• Sadasivan Shaji

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1428–1498, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.104

Enhancing the therapeutical potential of metalloantibiotics using nano-based delivery systems

• Alejandro Llamedo,
• Marina Cano,
• Raquel G. Soengas and
• Francisco J. García-Alonso

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1350–1366, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.98

• oxidation states, coordinating ligands, and geometries yield access to a highly underexplored chemical space for antibiotic drug development [19]. Moreover, metalloantibiotics may provide unique and multiple modes of action including redox activation and catalytic generation of toxic species (reactive

• oxygen species, ROS), exchange or release of ligands, abolition of key enzyme activities, disruption of membrane function, and damage of the bacterial DNA [20]. Despite the obvious advantages of metal-based over purely organic drugs, there are several potential limitations that must be overcome for gold

• drug carriers with ligands that bind to specific receptors overexpressed on the surface of the target site [45]. There are notable differences between the surfaces of eukaryotic cells and pathogenic bacteria, which provides obvious advantages in active-targeting strategies. In Gram-positive bacteria

Ferroptosis induction by engineered liposomes for enhanced tumor therapy

• Alireza Ghasempour,
• Mohammad Amin Tokallou,
• Mohammad Reza Naderi Allaf,
• Mohsen Moradi,
• Hamideh Dehghan,
• Mahsa Sedighi,
• Mohammad-Ali Shahbazi and
• Fahimeh Lavi Arab

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1325–1349, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.97

• therapeutic efficacy [118][128]. Additionally, liposomes can be surface-modified with various ligands such as antibodies, peptides, carbohydrates, and aptamers to achieve targeted drug delivery to specific cells or tissues [118][129]. These ligand-targeted liposomes can bind to receptors on target cells and

• be internalized by receptor-mediated endocytosis, which improves the accumulation of the drug at the desired site [130][131]. By integrating multiple components, such as targeting ligands, imaging agents, and therapeutic drugs, into a single liposomal formulation, theranostic liposomes can be created

• further complicates their clinical translation [141]. The incorporation of surface modifications, coatings, or ligands to improve liposomal functionality can complicate the manufacturing process, increase production costs, and pose a challenge for large-scale production in the context of good

Better together: biomimetic nanomedicines for high performance tumor therapy

• Imran Shair Mohammad,
• Gizem Kursunluoglu,
• Anup Kumar Patel,
• Hafiz Muhammad Ishaq,
• Cansu Umran Tunc,
• Dilek Kanarya,
• Mubashar Rehman,
• Omer Aydin and
• Yin Lifang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1246–1276, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.92

• /adjuvant delivery and tumor antigen-specific T-cell targeting strategies. It also summarizes the characteristics of biomimetic drug delivery nanocarriers designed from different cell types, their modification with specific ligands for precise and enhanced tumor targeting and TME responsiveness. Finally, by

• molecules [56][57], while the apolipoproteins guide the formation of lipoproteins, provide structural integrity, activate or inhibit lipoprotein metabolism, and act as ligands for lipoprotein receptors. Moreover, they play an important role in tumor regulation and progression, as they are potent and

Soft materials nanoarchitectonics: liquid crystals, polymers, gels, biomaterials, and others

• Katsuhiko Ariga

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1025–1067, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.77

• , resulting in vertically aligned arrays of gold nanorods. The polymer brushes consist of alkyl-terminated hexaethylene glycol derivatives, functioning as thermoresponsive ligands. Upon heating, the gold nanorods assemble within the polymer brushes, maintaining their vertical orientation. Upon cooling, the

A calix[4]arene-based supramolecular nanoassembly targeting cancer cells and triggering the release of nitric oxide with green light

• Cristina Parisi,
• Loredana Ferreri,
• Tassia J. Martins,
• Francesca Laneri,
• Samantha Sollima,
• Antonina Azzolina,
• Antonella Cusimano,
• Nicola D’Antona,
• Grazia M. L. Consoli and
• Salvatore Sortino

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1003–1013, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.75

• , C.N.R., I-95126 Catania, Italy Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council (CNR), I-90146 Palermo, Italy 10.3762/bjnano.16.75 Abstract We have designed and synthesized a novel calix[4]arene derivative bearing four choline appendages as recognition targeting ligands and

• of an amphiphilic calix[n]arene covalently integrating specific targeting ligands showed improved cell targeting capability [11]. Besides, nanoassemblies of calix[4]arene derivatives proved to be also very suited host supramolecular nanoreactors to amplify the photochemical performances of otherwise

• reaction between suitable photosensitizers and the NOPD co-encapsulated within different types of biocompatible host systems. Inspired by this work, we thought that a calixarene covalently integrating specific cell-targeting ligands and a suitable chromo-fluorogenic unit can impose the whole structure

Changes of structural, magnetic and spectroscopic properties of microencapsulated iron sucrose nanoparticles in saline

• Sabina Lewińska,
• Pavlo Aleshkevych,
• Roman Minikayev,
• Anna Bajorek,
• Mateusz Dulski,
• Krystian Prusik,
• Tomasz Wojciechowski and
• Anna Ślawska-Waniewska

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 762–784, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.59

• replaced by the sucrose ligands. Such a situation may restore the antiferromagnetic arrangement within the surface layer, and consequently reduce the quantity of uncompensated spins in the sample [4][19]. In this context, it is more likely that the source of the net magnetic moment is the interior volume

Efficiency of single-pulse laser fragmentation of organic nutraceutical dispersions in a circular jet flow-through reactor

• Tina Friedenauer,
• Maximilian Spellauge,
• Alexander Sommereyns,
• Verena Labenski,
• Tuba Esatbeyoglu,
• Christoph Rehbock,
• Heinz P. Huber and
• Stephan Barcikowski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 711–727, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.55

• effects when laser-fragmented curcumin particles are exposed to cancer cell lines, which is well in line with other curcumin formulations but highlights that LFL is a promising comminution strategy to generate bioactive curcumin in the absence of additional stabilizing ligands and additives. Experimental