Emerging strategies in the sustainable removal of antibiotics using semiconductor-based photocatalysts

• Yunus Ahmed,
• Keya Rani Dutta,
• Parul Akhtar,
• Md. Arif Hossen,
• Md. Jahangir Alam,
• Obaid A. Alharbi,
• Hamad AlMohamadi and
• Abdul Wahab Mohammad

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 264–285, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.21

• applications where natural light is abundant. Although TiO2 has a high photocatalytic activity under UV light, its practical use is limited because of rapid electron–hole recombination and insufficient visible light absorption [65]. Hence, it is critical to develop effective strategies to enhance TiO2 activity

• or other transition metals through doping can potentially improve Bi2WO6 light absorption capabilities and increase the antibiotic degradation efficiency [98]. Some metal-doped bismuth photocatalysts and their antibiotic degradation efficiency are summarized below in Table 3. Graphitic carbon nitride

• technique reduces carrier transfer resistance, improves pollutant adsorption, broadens the light absorption range, and promotes carrier separation. During the degradation of tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH), g-C3N4 exhibited remarkable activity under visible light and degraded 84.1% of TCH, while bulk g

Recent advances in photothermal nanomaterials for ophthalmic applications

• Jiayuan Zhuang,
• Linhui Jia,
• Chenghao Li,
• Rui Yang,
• Jiapeng Wang,
• Wen-an Wang,
• Heng Zhou and
• Xiangxia Luo

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 195–215, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.16

• photothermal conversion and tunability of light absorption of these materials simplify the therapeutic light source, broadening their applicability [17][18]. Furthermore, the customizable nature of these nanomaterials allows for the development of personalized treatment plans, tailored to individual patient

• , and inorganic semiconductor materials that absorb light through bandgap transitions [25]. The specific photothermal properties of these materials, encompassing aspects such as range and rate of light absorption, photothermal conversion efficiency, heat transfer capability, and photothermal stability

• , and polypyrrole) with a broad light absorption spectrum and efficient photothermal conversion capabilities (see below in Figure 2e) [58][59][60]. In addition to polymer-based photothermal nanomaterials, organic small molecule dyes that are often used for tissue staining can also be used as

TiO₂ immobilized on 2D mordenite: effect of hydrolysis conditions on structural, textural, and optical characteristics of the nanocomposites

• Marina G. Shelyapina,
• Rosario Isidro Yocupicio-Gaxiola,
• Gleb A. Valkovsky and
• Vitalii Petranovskii

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 128–140, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.12

• studied nanocomposites transformed using Equation 6 with n = 2 (since TiO2 is an indirect bandgap semiconductor). Semiconductor materials are characterized by a steep linear increase in light absorption with increasing energy. The bandgap energy can be estimated from the point of intersection of the x

Comparison of organic and inorganic hole transport layers in double perovskite material-based solar cell

• Deepika K and
• Arjun Singh

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 119–127, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.11

• deteriorate. Inorganic HTLs proved to perform better. Some examples of inorganic HTLs are CuI, Cu2O, and CuSCN. Organic HTLs consist of polymers or complex molecules, which affect the photovoltaic properties of the device in terms of light absorption and carrier mobility. Some examples of organic materials

Ultrablack color in velvet ant cuticle

• Vinicius Marques Lopez,
• Wencke Krings,
• Juliana Reis Machado,
• Stanislav Gorb and
• Rhainer Guillermo-Ferreira

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1554–1565, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.122

• specialized cuticle, characterized by microstructures that effectively minimize reflectance and enhance light absorption. Optical spectrometry confirmed the ultrablack nature of the cuticle, with the measured reflectance approaching minimal levels across a broad spectrum of wavelengths. Therefore, our study

• setup prolongs the light’s exposure to the melanized integument, thereby augmenting light absorption by the pigment [10]. Consequently, ultrablack colors exhibit an extraordinarily low reflectance across ultraviolet and visible (UV–vis) spectrum wavelengths, often falling below 0.5% of the incident

• ). The SEM and TEM images of the T. bifurca cuticle reveal that the cuticle sculpturing and setae together with the black pigment may facilitate structural light absorption (Figure 5). The setae in Figure 4, with their grooved nanostructures and hollow interiors, and the stacked lamellae (see L in Figure

Lithium niobate on insulator: an emerging nanophotonic crystal for optimized light control

• Midhun Murali,
• Amit Banerjee and
• Tanmoy Basu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1415–1426, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.114

• "super-emission" scales with the system size, meaning larger systems shine brighter. The reverse phenomenon (i.e., superabsorption [35][36]) enhances light absorption for larger systems and holds promise for creating high-performance quantum batteries. However, directly observing superabsorption is

• conversion of absorbed light into electricity [43]. The carrier diffusion length within PbS CQD solar cells aligns closely with the thickness of the CQD films. This correlation introduces a tradeoff between light absorption and charge transport. As the thickness of the CQD film increases to enhance light

• absorption, it simultaneously elevates the possibility of carrier recombination. Bae et al. incorporated Ag-coated five SiO2/TiO2 bilayered DBRs in combination with Fabry–Pérot (FP) resonators to address this trade-off and enhance the performance of PbS CQD solar cells. Hence, the light absorption near the

Mn-doped ZnO nanopowders prepared by sol–gel and microwave-assisted sol–gel methods and their photocatalytic properties

• Cristina Maria Vlăduț,
• Crina Anastasescu,
• Silviu Preda,
• Oana Catalina Mocioiu,
• Simona Petrescu,
• Jeanina Pandele-Cusu,
• Dana Culita,
• Veronica Bratan,
• Ioan Balint and
• Maria Zaharescu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1283–1296, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.104

• spectra (Figure 8) depict the light absorption mainly in the 200–400 nm range for both samples. The MW sample exhibits a higher light absorption and a tendency of main broad band to split at 330 nm. The long absorption tails in the visible domain can be assigned to the presence of surface defects [50

Quantum-to-classical modeling of monolayer Ge₂Se₂ and its application in photovoltaic devices

• Anup Shrivastava,
• Shivani Saini,
• Dolly Kumari,
• Sanjai Singh and
• Jost Adam

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1153–1169, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.94

• and relatively low manufacturing cost [3][4]. These solar cells are based on perovskite-structured compounds, which have demonstrated excellent light absorption, charge-carrier mobilities, and tunable bandgaps [5]. Despite the rapid advancements in PSC technology, some critical issues, such as long

Photocatalytic methane oxidation over a TiO₂/SiNWs p–n junction catalyst at room temperature

• Qui Thanh Hoai Ta,
• Luan Minh Nguyen,
• Ngoc Hoi Nguyen,
• Phan Khanh Thinh Nguyen and
• Dai Hai Nguyen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1132–1141, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.92

• structure of the catalyst provides a surface that can massively increase light absorption, achieving an efficient C2H6 yield of 210 µmol/cm2 in 6 h with high selectivity under light illumination at room temperature. This research could offer new insights into composite photocatalysts for methane coupling

Bolometric IR photoresponse based on a 3D micro-nano integrated CNT architecture

• Yasameen Al-Mafrachi,
• Sandeep Yadav,
• Sascha Preu,
• Jörg J. Schneider and
• Oktay Yilmazoglu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1030–1040, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.84

• reduced by more than one order of magnitude. Assuming a similar temperature increase in the CNT walls, the responsivity will increase by an order of magnitude. In addition, the CNT height can be reduced to the effective light absorption depth to achieve a more homogeneous temperature rise over the wall

Intermixing of MoS₂ and WS₂ photocatalysts toward methylene blue photodegradation

• Maryam Al Qaydi,
• Nitul S. Rajput,
• Michael Lejeune,
• Abdellatif Bouchalkha,
• Mimoun El Marssi,
• Steevy Cordette,
• Chaouki Kasmi and
• Mustapha Jouiad

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 817–829, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.68

• transport [14][15]. At each stage of the photocatalytic process sequence, the intermixing of TMD materials is intended to efficiently enhance light absorption, photogeneration of charge carriers, and activation of the surface redox reaction [16][17]. Furthermore, TMD materials are known to possess favorable

Gold nanomakura: nanoarchitectonics and their photothermal response in association with carrageenan hydrogels

• Nabojit Das,
• Vikas,
• Akash Kumar,
• Sanjeev Soni and
• Raja Gopal Rayavarapu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 678–693, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.56

• NIR/IR region enhances the efficiency of light absorption and scattering, which is a million times more intense than that of conventionally used organic dyes [15]. The NIR/IR wavelengths have the ability to penetrate biological tissues without using invasive modalities for diagnostic or therapeutic

Fluorescent bioinspired albumin/polydopamine nanoparticles and their interactions with Escherichia coli cells

• Eloïse Equy,
• Jordana Hirtzel,
• Sophie Hellé,
• Béatrice Heurtault,
• Eric Mathieu,
• Morgane Rabineau,
• Vincent Ball and
• Lydie Ploux

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1208–1224, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.100

• polydispersity index are provided in Supporting Information File 1, Table S1. In this study, results given in number will be used. Characterization of the fluorescence properties Fluorescence spectra were recorded with a spectrophotometer-fluorimeter SAFAS Xenius XM 529 (SAFAS Monaco, Monaco, Monaco). Light

• absorption of BSA/PDA NPs, Ox-BSA/PDA NPs, FITC-BSA/PDA NPs, and RhBITC-BSA/PDA NPs was measured between 200 and 800 nm against Tris buffer. The fluorescence of Ox-BSA/PDA NPs, FITC-BSA/PDA NPs, and RhBITC-BSA/PDA NPs was characterized by emission spectra measurements at different excitation wavelengths in

Sulfur nanocomposites with insecticidal effect for the control of Bactericera cockerelli

• Lany S. Araujo-Yépez,
• Juan O. Tigrero-Salas,
• Vicente A. Delgado-Rodríguez,
• Vladimir A. Aguirre-Yela and
• Josué N. Villota-Méndez

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1106–1115, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.91

• ]. Furthermore, it is well known that α-sulfur shows a maximum absorption peak in the range of 250 to 400 nm [30][31]. Other researchers found clear light absorption peaks of SNPs at 240, 260 and 280 nm [32][33]. EDS analysis (Figure 2) shows the presence of sulfur at a fraction of 28 wt %. In addition, Na, Cl

A visible-light photodetector based on heterojunctions between CuO nanoparticles and ZnO nanorods

• Doan Nhat Giang,
• Nhat Minh Nguyen,
• Duc Anh Ngo,
• Thanh Trang Tran,
• Le Thai Duy,
• Cong Khanh Tran,
• Thi Thanh Van Tran,
• Phan Phuong Ha La and
• Vinh Quang Dang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1018–1027, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.84

• properties of ZnO nanostructures, such as bandgap or conductivity [26]. Decorating ZnO with metals such as Ag, Au, Pd, Pt, and Al [27][28] can provide surface plasmonic effects that assist the electron transfer process in materials and extend the light absorption range of a photodetector [29][30]. However

• ]) to extend the light absorption towards the visible region. Copper oxide (CuO) is a candidate because of its narrow bandgap (ca. 1.35 eV), which is suitable for visible-light detection. Hence, CuO can be a potential material for solving the problem of limited light absorption of ZnO. Conduction and

Nanoarchitectonics of photothermal materials to enhance the sensitivity of lateral flow assays

• Elangovan Sarathkumar,
• Rajasekharan S. Anjana and
• Ramapurath S. Jayasree

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 988–1003, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.82

• , before being captured by immobilized biomolecules on a test line in the nitrocellulose membrane [6][7]. In conventional LFAs, most commonly gold nanoparticles and coloured cellulose nanobeads have been used as tracer elements because of strong light absorption and surface plasmon resonance, which yield

• possessing well-engineered characteristics in terms of size, shape, and composition are regarded as potential candidates for diverse photothermal applications, including photothermal LFAs. Photothermal materials can be categorized into four main types, depending on their chemistry and light absorption

• nanoparticles in the composite can increase the light absorption through surface plasmon resonance. Hence, graphene-based multifunctional nanocomposite materials could be employed as promising photothermal agents [44]. Polymer-based nanomaterials: Because of high biocompatibility, high PCE, and facile synthesis

SERS performance of GaN/Ag substrates fabricated by Ag coating of GaN platforms

• Magdalena A. Zając,
• Bogusław Budner,
• Malwina Liszewska,
• Bartosz Bartosewicz,
• Łukasz Gutowski,
• Jan L. Weyher and
• Bartłomiej J. Jankiewicz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 552–564, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.46

• absorption level for samples in a given series, it can be seen that an increase in the amount of deposited metal causes a decrease in light absorption, which is related to a decrease in surface roughness and the filling of the nanoporous GaN structure with silver. SERS performance of fabricated of GaN/Ag

• substrates show a strong absorption of light in the visible range, which is related to the phenomenon of surface plasmon resonance (SPR). The strongly nanoscale-rough surface causes a significant extension of the spectral range of SPR in comparison to thin silver layers. Based on the comparison of the light

The origin of black and white coloration of the Asian tiger mosquito Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae)

• Manuela Rebora,
• Gianandrea Salerno,
• Silvana Piersanti,
• Alexander Kovalev and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 496–508, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.41

• the black scales (Figure 5b) because of the partial light absorption by melanin. Light absorption Some substances absorbing UV light are present even in the white scales. They attenuate the reflection in the UV–visible, but not in the red–IR, spectral range. Multiple refractions and reflections

Mixed oxides with corundum-type structure obtained from recycling can seals as paint pigments: color stability

• Dienifer F. L. Horsth,
• Julia de O. Primo,
• Nayara Balaba,
• Fauze J. Anaissi and
• Carla Bittencourt

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 467–477, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.37

• ) coloration of the mixed oxides was confirmed by XPS and visible-light absorption measurements. The colorimetric stability of the oxides in acid and alkaline environments was evaluated. After 240 h of exposure to harsh environments, both pigments demonstrated stability and showed no strong color difference

• assignment is based on the intrinsic light absorption characteristics of the pigment due to the presence of a chromophore ion [8]. Different transition metals such as V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu have been used for this purpose [9]. Using inorganic compounds in the synthesis tends to increase the chemical

Conjugated photothermal materials and structure design for solar steam generation

• Chia-Yang Lin and
• Tsuyoshi Michinobu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 454–466, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.36

• materials (PTMs) have attracted significant interest because of their advantages over metallic and inorganic PTMs in terms of high light absorption, designable molecular structures, flexible morphology, and solution processability. We review here the recent progress in solar steam generation devices based

• efficiency in solar steam generation (SSG), three factors must be considered, namely solar light absorption, photothermal conversion efficiency, and vaporization efficiency (Figure 1). In addition, the cost of the materials must be taken into consideration as large quantities at low cost are required

• . Photothermal materials (PTMs) applied to SSG include metallic materials, semiconductors, carbon-based materials, and conjugated organic materials [1][2][3][4]. Compared to metallic and inorganic PTMs, π-conjugated organic PTMs have advantages, such as a greater light absorption, easier synthesis, and

Plasmonic nanotechnology for photothermal applications – an evaluation

• A. R. Indhu,
• L. Keerthana and
• Gnanaprakash Dharmalingam

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 380–419, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.33

• materials [7][8], such as Au nanoparticles (AuNPs), in photodynamic therapy [9][10][11]. Metal nanoparticles in general have been extensively explored in PPT applications due to their high free electron density and the possibility of intricate tuning of light absorption [12]. Noble metal nanoparticles with

Bismuth-based nanostructured photocatalysts for the remediation of antibiotics and organic dyes

• Akeem Adeyemi Oladipo and
• Faisal Suleiman Mustafa

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 291–321, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.26

• light absorption, weaker charge separation, and poor charge carrier mobility. Researchers are concentrating on several strategies, such as doping, heterojunction formation, induction of the surface plasmon resonance effect, and the formation of Z-schemes, Schottky junctions, and engineered composites

• ]. The increased performance was caused by the following factors: (a) surface plasmon resonance caused by the Ag dopant; (b) a decrease in the rate at which photoinduced carriers recombined; (c) high Schottky barriers between the Ag dopant and the host material; and (d) an increase in the visible-light

• absorption range. In addition to improving the photocatalytic properties of the Bi-based host materials, doping them with rare earth elements may also give them special ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties, as well as electrochemical and luminescent properties. To produce an Er-doped Bi2WO6

Photoelectrochemical water oxidation over TiO₂ nanotubes modified with MoS₂ and g-C₃N₄

• Phuong Hoang Nguyen,
• Thi Minh Cao,
• Tho Truong Nguyen,
• Hien Duy Tong and
• Viet Van Pham

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1541–1550, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.127

• chemical, thermal, and charge transport properties, which can shift the light absorption of TiO2 to the visible region [29][30][31][32]. An emerging new material in optoelectronics is g-C3N4 (bandgap of 2.65–2.7 eV) because it has an appropriate band structure with suitable energy levels regarding TiO2

A TiO₂@MWCNTs nanocomposite photoanode for solar-driven water splitting

• Anh Quynh Huu Le,
• Ngoc Nhu Thi Nguyen,
• Hai Duy Tran,
• Van-Huy Nguyen and
• Le-Hai Tran

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1520–1530, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.125

• -scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and linear sweep voltammetry. The results show that the TiO2@MWCNTs nanocomposite has an optical bandgap of 2.5 eV, which is a significant improvement in visible-light absorption capability compared to TiO2 (3.14 eV). The

• been developed to increase the absorption of visible solar light [6][7]. Notably, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are a promising material for visible-light absorption [8]. A combination of TiO2 with CNTs can effectively enhance the separation of e−/h+ pairs based on the high electric conductivity of CNTs

• . Herein, a TiO2@MWCNTs nanocomposite photocatalyst is synthesized via a simple hydrolysis method. The coupling of TiO2 and MWCNTs aims to limit the recombination of photogenerated electrons and holes, to improve the visible-light absorption of the photoanode under solar irradiation, and to enhance the

Facile preparation of Au- and BODIPY-grafted lipid nanoparticles for synergized photothermal therapy

• Yuran Wang,
• Xudong Li,
• Haijun Chen and
• Yu Gao

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1432–1444, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.118

• specificity and minimal invasiveness, it has attracted a great deal of attention as complementary modality for conventional cancer therapy options [1]. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) can absorb light and generate heat from light absorption because of the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) phenomenon and the tunable

• in H2O. The binding of hydrophobic BDP onto Au-LNPs might affect the light absorption of Au nanoclusters. The loading efficiency of BDP in AB-LNPs determined by using UV–vis measurements (λex = 600 nm) is 51 ± 1.2% (n = 3). A TEM image of AB-LNPs is shown in Figure 1c. Particles with diameters of ca