Microplastic pollution in Himalayan lakes: assessment, risks, and sustainable remediation strategies

• Sameeksha Rawat,
• S. M. Tauseef and
• Madhuben Sharma

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2144–2167, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.148

• permanently removed without causing secondary pollution [72]. 5.3.2 Nanotechnology for degradation. Nanotechnology offers a novel method for the accurate and effective breakdown of MPs. Under UV light, nanomaterials such as ZnO and TiO2 work as photocatalysts to break down MPs into CO2 and water, which are

• , attack the polymer chains of MPs. They either break the chains into smaller pieces or mineralize them into CO2 and water. A lot of research is being done on the photocatalytic properties of nanomaterials like TiO2, graphene oxide (GO), and ZnO. An excellent material for breaking down MPs in water systems

• ., these changes make TiO2 photocatalysts more effective in natural sunlight by letting more visible light pass through them [75]. ZnO has demonstrated potential as a result of its compatibility with UV light and high oxidative potential. Its nanostructured forms, such as nanorods and nanowires, provide

Rapid synthesis of highly monodisperse AgSbS₂ nanocrystals: unveiling multifaceted activities in cancer therapy, antibacterial strategies, and antioxidant defense

• Funda Ulusu,
• Adem Sarilmaz,
• Yakup Ulusu,
• Faruk Ozel and
• Mahmut Kus

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2105–2115, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.145

• act as a barrier, reducing the uptake of antimicrobial agents, thus, increasing the required inhibitory concentrations. Similar results have been observed for silver, ZnO, and other metal chalcogenide nanoparticles, which show higher MIC/MBC values for E. coli compared to S. aureus [41]. In size

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

• plasma is nonuniform as compared to the anode case. As a result, during cathode ablation, spherical nanostructures appear only as a minor component, while ZnO nanosheets dominate in the colloid. The surface charges can be considered among the key parameters influencing NP shape. The charge of the NPs is

• different shapes. The latter processes often occur in solution after synthesis and may significantly change the shape of the formed NPs compared to that of the as-formed structures. For example, Solati et al. in [32] studied the effects of laser pulse energy and wavelength on the ZnO NP characteristics, and

• explained by the decrease of the adhesion of NPs. The variation of the NP shape can be more significant in organic liquids. For example, Singh et al. [33] produced drop-shaped ZnO quantum dots by laser ablation of Zn in methanol, which were prone to spontaneous self-assembly after the end of the synthesis

On the road to sustainability – application of metallic nanoparticles obtained by green synthesis in dentistry: a scoping review

• Lorena Pinheiro Vasconcelos Silva,
• Joice Catiane Soares Martins,
• Israel Luís Carvalho Diniz,
• Júlio Abreu Miranda,
• Danilo Rodrigues de Souza,
• Éverton do Nascimento Alencar,
• Moan Jéfter Fernandes Costa and
• Pedro Henrique Sette-de-Souza

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1851–1862, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.128

• widely studied nanomaterials are metallic nanoparticles, particularly silver (AgNPs), gold (AuNPs), and copper (CuNPs), and various metal oxide nanoparticles such as zinc oxide (ZnO-NPs), due to their high surface-to-volume ratio, chemical stability, and distinctive optical and antimicrobial properties

• -mediated AgNPs and ZnO-NPs demonstrated significant antibacterial activity against Streptococcus mutans biofilms [8][9][43], whereas in endodontics, their integration into irrigants and sealers improved disinfection efficiency against Enterococcus faecalis [44]. These findings underscore the translational

• [45][46]. Besides silver, zinc, copper, and nickel, other metals have been used to a lesser extent. The significant representation of ZnO-NPs, known for their biocompatibility, UV-blocking capacity, and antibacterial efficacy, aligns with their growing use in restorative and preventive dentistry

Piezoelectricity of layered double hydroxides: perspectives regarding piezocatalysis and nanogenerators

• Evgeniy S. Seliverstov,
• Evgeniya A. Tarasenko and
• Olga E. Lebedeva

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1812–1817, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.124

• that LDHs, as anionic clays, play a crucial role in enabling direct current output from piezoelectric nanogenerators [8]. In particular, the abundant anions (NO3−) incorporated within the Zn/Al-LDH layer of the two-dimensional ZnO nanostructure are key contributors to achieving piezoelectric direct

• current output. The piezoelectric potential generated in the ZnO nanosheets functions as an applied voltage, facilitating charge storage within the LDH layers, which act as capacitors. This mechanism leads to enhanced voltage and current pulses under mechanical stimulation. LDHs can also enhance the

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

• of photo-induced charge carriers [98]. Tofa et al. [99] studied the photocatalytic activity of ZnO nanorods for breaking down LDPE, a common microplastic found in wastewater. Experimental results led to the proposal of a detailed degradation pathway. The process initiates when hydroxyl and superoxide

• emerged as a promising approach. Materials such as silver, ZnO, TiO2, and iron oxide are frequently used in membrane construction due to their high reactivity and effective catalytic behaviour. These membranes are not only simple to engineer but also exhibit strong antibacterial activity. Additionally

Transient electronics for sustainability: Emerging technologies and future directions

• Jae-Young Bae,
• Myung-Kyun Choi and
• Seung-Kyun Kang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1545–1556, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.109

• such as Mg and Mo have been deposited onto bioresorbable polymer substrates in the form of resistive-type sensors or interconnects using shadow masking techniques [14][48][63][64]. In addition, semiconductor or dielectric materials such as ZnO and MgO have been patterned and deposited using shadow

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

• pulse excitation (532 nm). The morphological changes induced by thermal and photochemical effects were found to influence the optical properties of these particles. Another commonly reported semiconductor material by LFL is zinc oxide (ZnO) [33][34]. The optical properties, particularly the UV emission

• particle size through a relatively simple process, further advancing the field of laser-based nanoparticle synthesis. The first report on the fabrication of ZnO quantum dots (QDs) through laser irradiation of ZnO hollow nanospheres in a liquid medium highlighted a rapid, simple process conducted at room

• spheres and is suitable for a variety of metal and semiconductor NPs, including Ag, Au, Cu, Fe, Ni, Fe2O3, Fe3O4, Co3O4, NiO, TiO2, WO3, and ZnO, which all exhibit optical absorption at 355 or 532 nm (using a Nd:YAG laser). Pulsed laser irradiation of colloidal NPs differs from LAL primarily in that PLIL

Electronic and optical properties of chloropicrin adsorbed ZnS nanotubes: first principle analysis

• Prakash Yadav,
• Boddepalli SanthiBhushan and
• Anurag Srivastava

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1184–1196, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.87

• . Semiconductor nanomaterials such as graphene, B12N12, fullerene C60, carbon nanotubes, WO₃, ZnO, ZnS, ZnSe, ZnTe, SnO₂, TiO₂, MoS₂, and NiO have been widely employed in gas sensor applications due to their superior selectivity, sensitivity, and response characteristics [20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29

• humidity sensing performance compared to that of ZnO/ZnS nanorod arrays and ZnO nanorod arrays, with enhanced response, faster recovery, good linearity, and reliable reproducibility across a wide range of relative humidity conditions at room temperature. Giri et al. [48] demonstrated that phase-selective

• ZnO@ZnS heterostructures and ZnS NTs exhibited superior amperometric cholesterol sensing performance, with ZnS NTs achieving the highest sensitivity (598 mA/m2) and low detection limits among the configurations studied. Despite these advances, the use of ZnS NT for detecting chloropicrin (CP), a

Ar⁺ implantation-induced tailoring of RF-sputtered ZnO films: structural, morphological, and optical properties

• Manu Bura,
• Divya Gupta,
• Arun Kumar and
• Sanjeev Aggarwal

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 872–886, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.66

• . Raman spectra reveal the presence of the E2 (low), E2 (high), and A1 (LO) Raman modes in pristine and implanted ZnO films. A gradual fall and rise in peak intensity of, respectively, the E2 (high) and A1 (LO) Raman modes is observed with increases in ion fluence. However, the E2 (low) mode broadens and

• merges completely with disorder-induced broad band at higher fluences. Moreover, the deconvolution of the A1 (LO) Raman peak affirms the presence of defect-related Raman modes in the implanted samples. A gradual reduction in crystallinity of the implanted ZnO films with increasing ion fluence is observed

• , Urbach energy, and optical bandgap. The low reflectance values of implanted films assure their suitability as transparent windows and anti-reflective coating in various optoelectronic devices. Keywords: AFM; diffuse reflectance; GXRD; polycrystalline; ZnO films; Introduction Zinc oxide has emerged as a

Supramolecular hydration structure of graphene-based hydrogels: density functional theory, green chemistry and interface application

• Hon Nhien Le,
• Duy Khanh Nguyen,
• Minh Triet Dang,
• Huyen Trinh Nguyen,
• Thi Bang Tam Dao,
• Trung Do Nguyen,
• Chi Nhan Ha Thuc and
• Van Hieu Le

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 806–822, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.61

• assembly, and surface hydration [10][11][12]. In our previous works, a number of graphene-based hydrogels (RGO-SnO2, RGO-ZnO, and RGO) were synthesized to evidence the reversible self-assembly of graphene-based nanosheets thanks to water intercalation in the hydrated ensembles [13][14][15][16][17

• GO-SG-ZH/PLA films are described in Figure 12 and summarized in Table 4. Additional data of measurement values and stress–strain curves are given in Supporting Information File 1, Table S1, Figure S4, Table S2, and Figure S5. Our previous paper presented that GO-ZnO coating on PLA film led to an

Synthesis of a multicomponent cellulose-based adsorbent for tetracycline removal from aquaculture water

• Uyen Bao Tran,
• Ngoc Thanh Vo-Tran,
• Khai The Truong,
• Dat Anh Nguyen,
• Quang Nhat Tran,
• Huu-Quang Nguyen,
• Jaebeom Lee and
• Hai Son Truong-Lam

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 728–739, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.56

• significant morphological changes compared to pristine CMC (Figure 2a–c). Specifically, the PGC surface exhibits numerous, uniformly distributed spherical nanoparticles (≈200 nm in diameter), attributed to ZnO nanoparticles. The initial tubular structure of CMC is converted into a film-like structure owing to

Retrieval of B1 phase from high-pressure B2 phase for CdO nanoparticles by electronic excitations in Cd_xZn_1−xO composite thin films

• Arkaprava Das,
• Marcin Zając and
• Carla Bittencourt

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 551–560, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.43

• as an effective tool. Exposure to 120 MeV silver ion irradiation results in the complete amorphization of the B2 phase in CdO nanoparticles, while the crystalline hexagonal wurtzite phase of zinc oxide (ZnO) remains intact. In contrast, 80 MeV oxygen ion irradiation preserves the B2 phase and

• ; Introduction Zinc oxide (ZnO)-based thin films are of significant interest due to their wide bandgap value (3.37 eV at room temperature), transparent electrical conduction, and large excitonic binding energy (60 meV) [1]. In contrast, cadmium oxide (CdO) exhibits a lower bandgap of 2.2 eV, along with high

• electron mobility (>100 cm2/V/s) and high electrical conductivity (>1014 S/cm), demonstrating its potential for optoelectronic applications [2][3][4]. The incorporation of cadmium into ZnO effectively reduces the bandgap, rendering the thin films suitable for applications in the visible region of the

Quantification of lead through rod-shaped silver-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles using an electrochemical approach

• Ravinder Lamba,
• Gaurav Bhanjana,
• Neeraj Dilbaghi,
• Vivek Gupta and
• Sandeep Kumar

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 422–434, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.33

• activity, and semiconductor properties. By doping ZnO nanoparticles with transition metals, we can alter their electrical, optical, and magnetic properties by introducing new electronic states into the band structure. Herein, Ag is added to ZnO nanostructures to improve their optical properties to detect

• heavy metal lead ions. The prepared lead sensor with ultrahigh sensitivity, based on silver-doped ZnO nanorods (Ag@ZnO NRs), was fabricated and characterized. The morphological, structural, compositional, and optical characteristics of the Ag@ZnO NRs were investigated using a variety of methods after

• they were fabricated using a low-temperature co-precipitation method. The resulting Ag@ZnO NRs had good optical properties, nanorod morphologies, and high crystallinity with no impurities. Technological advancements are leading people to use lightweight electronics and affordable sensors

Graphene oxide–chloroquine conjugate induces DNA damage in A549 lung cancer cells through autophagy modulation

• Braham Dutt Arya,
• Sandeep Mittal,
• Prachi Joshi,
• Alok Kumar Pandey,
• Jaime E. Ramirez-Vick,
• Govind Gupta and
• Surinder P. Singh

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 316–332, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.24

• , human lung epithelial carcinoma cells towards the genotoxic agent methyl methanesulphonate through disruption of the DDR process [13]. Recently, ZnO nanoparticles induced significant cytotoxicity and DNA double-strand breaks in SKOV3 cells, human ovarian epithelial cancer cells, through induction of

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

• antibiotic removal by semiconductor-based photocatalysts Photocatalysis is a highly effective, affordable, and environmentally friendly approach for removing antibiotics from wastewater. Various semiconductor photocatalysts, such as TiO2, ZnO, bismuth oxyhalide (BiOX), g-C3N4, graphene oxide (GO), WO3, and

• 4.1, and UV-A irradiation of 60 W), the TiO2/GO/chitosan photocatalyst exhibited a prominent degradation efficiency of 95.34%. They also reported in another article that the SWCNT/ZnO/Fe3O4 combination exhibited a CFX decomposition efficiency of 94.19% at pH 5.93, 22.76 ppm CFX, and 0.46 g/L

• TC, with an efficiency of approximately 96%, which is 1.56 times higher than that of pure TiO2 photocatalysts. Zinc oxide-based materials Zinc oxide (ZnO) is another widely used semiconductor material that exhibits enhanced sensitivity to ultraviolet (UV) light. It possesses a substantial surface

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

• inspiration from lollipops, Wang et al. developed a multilayered sodium alginate–chitosan hydrogel sphere drug delivery system, which uses ZnO-modified biocarbon (ZnO-BC) to enhance the photothermal conversion performance [70]. The hydrogel ball is embedded under the conjunctiva through surgery. ZnO-BC can

Characterization of ZnO nanoparticles synthesized using probiotic Lactiplantibacillus plantarum GP258

• Prashantkumar Siddappa Chakra,
• Aishwarya Banakar,
• Shriram Narayan Puranik,
• Vishwas Kaveeshwar,
• C. R. Ravikumar and
• Devaraja Gayathri

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 78–89, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.8

• nanoparticles (ZnO NPs), utilizing lactic acid bacteria isolated from curd as the key biological agent. Bacteria function as agents for both reduction and capping processes, which aids the synthesis of ZnO NPs. Various characterization techniques including XRD, FTIR, UV–vis, TEM, SEM-EDX, and zeta potential

• measurements were employed to analyze the morphology, dimensions, and elemental composition of the generated nanoparticles. The experimental outcomes confirmed the presence of hexagonal wurtzite-structured ZnO NPs with an average size of 10 nm. The colloidal system demonstrated excellent stability with a zeta

• typhi (3 ± 1 mm). MTT assay revealed the promising antiproliferative potential of ZnO NPs, with an average IC50 value of 98.53 µg/mL. Additionally, the NPs were photocatalytically and electrochemically analyzed, indicating their potential use in cancer research as well as in coating and drug delivery

Various CVD-grown ZnO nanostructures for nanodevices and interdisciplinary applications

• The-Long Phan,
• Le Viet Cuong,
• Vu Dinh Lam and
• Ngoc Toan Dang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1390–1399, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.112

• Institute of Research and Development, Duy Tan University, Da Nang 550000, Vietnam Faculty of Environmental and Natural Sciences, Duy Tan University, Da Nang 550000, Vietnam 10.3762/bjnano.15.112 Abstract This work presents a simple chemical vapour deposition (CVD) method to grow ZnO nanostructures. By

• results prove that ZnO exhibits many novel nanostructures that can foster the development of next-generation optoelectronic nanodevices and new applications in biological and biomedical fields. Keywords: chemical vapour deposition; electron microscopy; Raman and photoluminescent spectra; ZnO

• electronic/optoelectronic devices, energy storage/generation systems, and renewable energy conversion devices with high performance and low-power consumption [1][2][3]. In comparison to semiconductors, ZnO has attracted much more attention. This is due to ZnO having outstanding semiconductor behaviours in

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

• continuously evaluating the as-synthesized materials. The present paper presents a comparative study of Mn-doped ZnO nanopowders prepared by both sol–gel and microwave-assisted sol–gel methods. The structural, morphological, and optical properties of the as-obtained powders were established and correlated with

• their newly proved functionality, namely, the ability to photogenerate distinct reactive oxygen species (·OH or O2−) and to act as photoactive materials in aqueous media. The solar light-induced mineralization of oxalic acid by Mn-doped ZnO materials was clearly observed while similar amounts of

• oxides have been synthesized by exposing precursor solutions to microwave irradiation, including MgO [28], RuO2 [29], ZrO2 [30], WO3 [31], SiO2 [32], TiO2 [33][34], and ZnO [12]. The microwave power utilized in these processes varied from 140 W [34] to 850 W [29]. ZnO is a widely studied n-type oxide

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

• , a large number of materials have been reported as ETLs/HTL materials, such as carbon [15], copper iodide [16], CuSbS2, NiO, CuSCN [17], ZnO, and CdS [18]. These materials promote efficient extraction of charge carriers and suppress recombination between the perovskite film and the electrodes. But in

Introducing third-generation periodic table descriptors for nano-qRASTR modeling of zebrafish toxicity of metal oxide nanoparticles

• Supratik Kar and
• Siyun Yang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1142–1152, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.93

• compounds related to each reference compound. It has a positive contribution to our model with a coefficient of +5.10. The effect of SE(LK) can also be observed in our training set. ZnO has the highest %EI value (42.72) in our training set, while it also has the highest SE(LK) value of 11.47. Conversely

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

• photocatalytic efficiency. For years, doping of metal nanoparticles (NPs) into a semiconductor matrix has been extensively studied to enhance photocatalytic CH4 oxidation performance. Metal NPs in, for example, Au/TiO2, Au@Pd/ZnO, and Pt@Cu/TiO2 composites act as electron scavenger centers and own more free

Unveiling the potential of alginate-based nanomaterials in sensing technology and smart delivery applications

• Shakhzodjon Uzokboev,
• Khojimukhammad Akhmadbekov,
• Ra’no Nuritdinova,
• Salah M. Tawfik and
• Yong-Ill Lee

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1077–1104, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.88

• a plasmonic nanoparticle lattice regulates wrinkling by plasmonic heating [119]. Another study compared the humidity sensing capabilities of ZnO nanoparticles and nanotetrapods and found that the nanotetrapods were five times more sensitive to humidity than the nanoparticles [120]. The humidity

Effect of wavelength and liquid on formation of Ag, Au, Ag/Au nanoparticles via picosecond laser ablation and SERS-based detection of DMMP

• Sree Satya Bharati Moram,
• Chandu Byram and
• Venugopal Rao Soma

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1054–1069, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.86

• during the ablation. He et al. [58] demonstrated that at higher NaCl (10 mM) concentrations, ZnO NPs exhibited coalescence, increasing NPs size in comparison to those obtained in DW. In Figure 3, TEM images depicting as-synthesized Au NPs under different incident laser wavelengths (i.e., (a) 355, (b) 532