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

• (primarily intravitreal, subretinal, and suprachoroidal injections) is a common strategy for alleviating retinal disorders; however, the ocular tissue barriers (primarily the vitreous, inner limiting membrane, retinal pigment epithelium, and blood–retina barriers) and defense mechanisms impede drug

Clays enhanced with niobium: potential in wastewater treatment and reuse as pigment with antibacterial activity

• Silvia Jaerger,
• Patricia Appelt,
• Mario Antônio Alves da Cunha,
• Fabián Ccahuana Ayma,
• Ricardo Schneider,
• Carla Bittencourt and
• Fauze Jacó Anaissi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 141–154, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.13

• photocatalysts for treating solutions containing the MB dye (400 mg·L−1) at 25 °C. The results showed adsorption and photocatalysis efficiency above 94% for both samples. The blue-colored BEOx and BEPh samples were then applied as a hybrid pigment. The power pigment and its dispersion in colorless paint were

• evaluated by the CIEL*a*b* color space, and the ΔE parameters show values above 12, indicating a very strong color parameter difference. Subsequently, the efficacy of BEOx and BEPh as a hybrid pigment was assessed using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) assay against two bacteria strains: Bacillus

• cereus (ATCC 10876) and Proteus mirabilis (ATCC 35649). The analysis revealed remarkable antibacterial activity against Proteus mirabilis, suggesting a preferential selectivity for Gram-negative bacteria. Keywords: adsorption; bentonite; hybrid pigment; niobium; photocatalysis; water remediation

Orientation-dependent photonic bandgaps in gold-dust weevil scales and their titania bioreplicates

• Norma Salvadores Farran,
• Limin Wang,
• Primoz Pirih and
• Bodo D. Wilts

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1–10, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.1

• reference standard, indicating directional reflection. The scales immersed in refractive index oils appeared yellowish because of a presence of a blue-absorbing pigment (Supporting Information File 1, Figure S1). Maximal transmission was achieved with the oil with refractive index 1.56, indicating that the

• scales are composed of chitin and an undetermined short-wavelength absorbing pigment. To investigate whether the origin of the coloration is structural, we examined the external and internal structure of intact and plasma-etched elytral scales using scanning electron microscopy (Figure 2). Using a

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

• spectacle among animals. These colors with high absorption are formed in nature by a sophisticated arrangement of microstructures (i.e., structures visible under microscope) alongside pigment depositions in underlying tissues [9][10]. For instance, in male peacock spiders (Figure 1A), ultrablack

• 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

Comparative electron microscopy particle sizing of TiO₂ pigments: sample preparation and measurement

• Ralf Theissmann,
• Christopher Drury,
• Markus Rohe,
• Thomas Koch,
• Jochen Winkler and
• Petr Pikal

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 317–332, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.29

• Ralf Theissmann Christopher Drury Markus Rohe Thomas Koch Jochen Winkler Petr Pikal Research Services, KRONOS INT. Inc., Peschstr. 5, 51737 Leverkusen, Germany TRONOX Pigment UK Ltd., Laporte Road, Stallingborough, North East Lincolnshire, DN40 2PR, United Kingdom Global Special Analytics, Venator

• ) pigment is a non-toxic, particulate material in widespread use and found in everyone’s daily life. The particle size of the anatase or rutile crystals are optimised to produce a pigment that provides the best possible whiteness and opacity. The average particle size is intentionally much larger than the

• 100 nm boundary of the EU nanomaterial definition, but the TiO2 pigment manufacturing processes results in a finite nanoscale content fraction. This optically inefficient nanoscale fraction needs to be quantified in line with EU regulations. In this paper, we describe the measurement procedures used

Assessing phytotoxicity and tolerance levels of ZnO nanoparticles on Raphanus sativus: implications for widespread adoptions

• Pathirannahalage Sahan Samuditha,
• Nadeesh Madusanka Adassooriya and
• Nazeera Salim

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 115–125, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.11

• , photosynthetic pigment content, as well as the antioxidant capacity of the leaves of R. sativus grown in coir pots. Most of the literature currently reports physiological changes resulting from the application of minute quantities of ZnO NPs. This study demonstrates that R. sativus can withstand high doses of Zn

• [60]. The ethanol extracts of the samples were centrifuged at 2500 rpm for 5 min and the supernatant was analyzed for carbohydrate content by the phenol-sulfuric method [61]. Determination of pigment content in leaves Fresh leaf samples (50 mg) were obtained, and chlorophyll a (Chl-a), chlorophyll b

• different in their means at p > 0.05. (a) The carbohydrate, (b) plant pigment, and (c) antioxidant contents (mean ± SD, n = 3) in the leaves of 45-day-old R. sativus grown in coir medium and treated with 1000 mg/L of ZnO NPs + Hoagland solution in inert coir medium. Treatments with the same letter are not

Nanotechnological approaches in the treatment of schistosomiasis: an overview

• Lucas Carvalho,
• Michelle Sarcinelli and
• Beatriz Patrício

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 13–25, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.2

• an encouraging prognosis for the development of future products [56]. Curcumin is a naturally yellow pigment obtained from the rhizomes of Curcuma longa. In the literature, many articles explore anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, anti-infectious, and antitumoral properties of curcumin [58

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

• dark pigment. The white colour of the scales has a structural origin. The structural white produced by the micro- and nanostructures of the scales on the tarsi of Ae. albopictus appears bright and is angle-dependent, since the reflected light changes according to the angle detection and according to

• , diffraction and scattering, that cause the selective reflection of light [3]. Quite often, structural colors are present together with pigment colors, to increase or to reduce the brightness and to produce particular effects [4]. Insect exoskeletons with their multilayered internal organisation and the

• is optically smooth, the metal-coated scales demonstrated specular reflection. A thin Au/Pd film on the scale surface effectively screens the pigment presented inside the scales and traps the light so that the white as well as the black appearance of the scales disappears. Observations of the legs of

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

• as a form of circular economy, where recycled aluminium becomes part of an industrial scope different from the initial one. Inorganic pigments are widely sought after for their colors [7]. The color of a pigment is affected by the size and shape of the material’s particles [8]. However, the color

• 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

• atmospheres than organic pigments [12]. In addition, inorganic pigments offer the advantage of lower production cost [12] when using recycling materials as a precursor. Global demand for pigments was around 12 million tons in 2020 and is dominated by titanium dioxide white pigment [11]. However, iron oxide

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

Quercetin- and caffeic acid-functionalized chitosan-capped colloidal silver nanoparticles: one-pot synthesis, characterization, and anticancer and antibacterial activities

• Akif Hakan Kurt,
• Elif Berna Olutas,
• Fatma Avcioglu,
• Hamza Karakuş,
• Mehmet Ali Sungur,
• Cansu Kara Oztabag and
• Muhammet Yıldırım

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 362–376, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.31

• glioblastoma) and ARPE-19 (human retinal pigment epithelium) cells. Both NPs showed anticancer activity, but Ch/Q-Ag NPs seemed to be more effective on cancer cell lines (U-118 MG) in comparison to healthy ones (ARPE-19). Furthermore, the antibacterial activity of Ch/Q- and Ch/CA-Ag NPs against Gram-negative

• sample was recorded at 762 nm. During the measurements, distilled water was used as a reference. Cell culture Human brain glioma (U-118 MG) and human retinal pigment epithelium (ARPE-19) cell lines were purchased from ATCC (NY, USA) and cultured in 10% (v/v) FBS (Gibco; Thermo Scientific, USA) and 1% (v

• and their viability, as it greatly simplifies the procedure for measuring proliferation over MTT, reduces assay time, and increases the sensitivity of the assay [73]. In this study, the dose-dependent cell viabilities of human brain glioblastoma (U-118 MG) and human retinal pigment epithelium (ARPE-19

Self-assembly of amino acids toward functional biomaterials

• Huan Ren,
• Lifang Wu,
• Lina Tan,
• Yanni Bao,
• Yuchen Ma,
• Yong Jin and
• Qianli Zou

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1140–1150, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.85

• encapsulated in the Cys/Zn framework as a guest molecule to obtain the original pigment model, which can achieve methyl violet (MV2+) photoreduction, CO2 photoreduction, NADH formation, and hydrogen release [60]. In addition, histidine has site-specific metal ion coordination with an imidazole ring [61]. Han

Differences in surface chemistry of iron oxide nanoparticles result in different routes of internalization

• Barbora Svitkova,
• Vlasta Zavisova,
• Veronika Nemethova,
• Martina Koneracka,
• Miroslava Kretova,
• Filip Razga,
• Monika Ursinyova and
• Alena Gabelova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 270–281, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.22

• ], just like in our study. In line with our results, Langston Suen and Chau [61] reported the uptake of folate-decorated NPs of 50 nm in size by CME into retinal pigment epithelium cells, while 250 nm particles were dominated by CavME. Surprisingly, the addition of CME inhibitors to the culture medium

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

An iridescent film of porous anodic aluminum oxide with alternatingly electrodeposited Cu and SiO₂ nanoparticles

• Menglei Chang,
• Huawen Hu,
• Haiyan Quan,
• Hongyang Wei,
• Zhangyi Xiong,
• Jiacong Lu,
• Pin Luo,
• Yaoheng Liang,
• Jianzhen Ou and
• Dongchu Chen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 735–745, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.73

• colors are also expected to enrich the aluminum alloys with vivid optical properties [21]. Structural colors are generated by light diffraction, interference and scattering [20], completely different from pigment colors involving the selective absorption of a certain light waves and the reflection of the

• with a change of the viewing angle [16][22]. By contrast, no rainbow effect occurs in the pigment colors. The artificial structural color is inspired from nature, e.g., the bright tail of the peacock feathers, the mixed cyan and green shell of the Coleoptera beetles, and the wings of butterflies [15

• ]. In comparison with pigment colors, structural colors are much more stable, as a color change can only take place when the physical structure is varied [23]. Two types of strategies have been employed to produce structural colors, one is based on self-assembly methods [24], and the other is based on

Ultraviolet patterns of flowers revealed in polymer replica – caused by surface architecture

• Anna J. Schulte,
• Matthias Mail,
• Lisa A. Hahn and
• Wilhelm Barthlott

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 459–466, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.45

• (pigment filled) cells act as a kind of color filter. Consequently, thicker cells create a longer path length for the light within the petal and thereby increase the chance that the light reaches the pigments. This results in a stronger stimulation of the pigments and thus a higher spectral purity. Exner

• -reflecting areas. Using petal replicas, we separated this surface architecture from the cell pigments and thereby eliminated their influence on the UV-patterns. This procedure provides the first proof that the UV-patterns in flowers are not just pigment-based, but also structurally determined. Through this

Sulfur-, nitrogen- and platinum-doped titania thin films with high catalytic efficiency under visible-light illumination

• Boštjan Žener,
• Lev Matoh,
• Giorgio Carraro,
• Bojan Miljević and
• Romana Cerc Korošec

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1629–1640, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.155

• , band gap measurements). The photocatalytic activity of the prepared thin films was determined by measuring the degradation rate of plasmocorinth B (PB), an organic pigment used in the textile industry, which can pose an environmental risk when expelled into wastewater. A kinetic model for adsorption

• are photocatalytically active under visible-light illumination. The photocatalytic activity of our samples was determined by measuring the degradation rate of plasmocorinth B (PB), an organic pigment belonging to the group of azo dyes. Azo dyes are used in the textile industry as textile colorants and

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

• tanning and pigment manufacturing. Effluents containing a high Cr(VI) concentration from these industries are undesirably discharged into the aquatic environment [7][8][9]. The chrome tanning process is the most preferred among 80% of tannery industries in India and most of them discharge untreated

Room-temperature single-photon emitters in titanium dioxide optical defects

• Kelvin Chung,
• Yu H. Leung,
• Chap H. To,
• Aleksandra B. Djurišić and
• Snjezana Tomljenovic-Hanic

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1085–1094, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.100

• production cost is low and it is used as a white pigment in foods, cosmetics [12], textiles [13] and paints [14]. It has a relatively high refractive index of 2.3 at 550 nm [15] and recent work demonstrated its potential applications as novel optical material for waveguides and resonators [16][17][18][19][20

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

• process to synthesize ≈5 nm diameter PbS NPs for hair dye [23]. Similarly, “Egyptian blue” was the first synthetic pigment which was prepared and used by Egyptians using a sintered mixture nanometer-sized glass and quartz around 3rd century BC [24]. Egyptian blue represents a multifaceted mixture of

• have been extensively used in commercial products ranging from personal care products to paints [113]. Titanium oxide NPs larger than 100 nm are broadly utilized as a white pigment in cosmetic creams and sunscreens [114]. Similarly, Ag NPs have been used in diverse applications including air sanitizer

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

• change the way light reflects off of its skin. Skin contains chromatophores, or pigment-containing cells, which can change in two ways. First, the chromatophores can change chemically with season, diet, etc. to a new color. In a more direct second method, some animals control their skin coloration

The cleaner, the greener? Product sustainability assessment of the biomimetic façade paint Lotusan^® in comparison to the conventional façade paint Jumbosil^®

• Florian Antony,
• Rainer Grießhammer,
• Thomas Speck and
• Olga Speck

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 2100–2115, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.200

• been analysed to provide further evidence that the assumptions on the modelling of the formulation of the two paints are justified. Related to their mass, the most relevant formulation components of both paints are water, pigment, fillers and polymer dispersion. The mass of TiO2 is about 2 times higher

• Information File 1). For both paints, the main contributions arise from the provision of TiO2 as white pigment. As already shown in Supporting Information Table S1, Lotusan® has a higher TiO2 content (20%, compared to only 10% for Jumbosil®). Remarkable in this context are the results for the two USEtox

Intercalation and structural aspects of macroRAFT agents into MgAl layered double hydroxides

• Dessislava Kostadinova,
• Ana Cenacchi Pereira,
• Muriel Lansalot,
• Franck D’Agosto,
• Elodie Bourgeat-Lami,
• Fabrice Leroux,
• Christine Taviot-Guého,
• Sylvian Cadars and
• Vanessa Prevot

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 2000–2012, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.191

• , fluorescein pigment red, …) [18][19] were confined by intercalation within LDH for applications as pigments or studies in photophysics or photochromism. Due to their high aspect ratio, their layered feature extended to the nanoscale and their hydroxylated surface, LDH are also particularly interesting for

Nanostructured TiO₂-based gas sensors with enhanced sensitivity to reducing gases

• Wojciech Maziarz,
• Anna Kusior and
• Anita Trenczek-Zajac

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1718–1726, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.164

• photoactive material, while rutile, due to its effective light scattering, is widely used as a pigment. Our studies show that for nonsensitized titanium dioxide, T30 (the rutile-based sample) is a much better sensor than NS0 (the anatase-based material). According to Wang et al. [44], the enhanced sensitivity

Tight junction between endothelial cells: the interaction between nanoparticles and blood vessels

• Yue Zhang and
• Wan-Xi Yang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 675–684, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.60

• inhibited (79%) by silver nanoparticles (2–6 nm) [80]. Also, AuNPs have the ability to prevent vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)- and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β)-induced proliferation and migration in bovine retinal pigment epithelial cells (BRPEs) through the suppression of the Src kinase pathway