Cellulose as a photocatalyst support material: extraction, structural features, and environmental applications

• Yee Teng Lim,
• Nur Farhana Jaafar,
• Azizul Hakim Lahuri and
• Endang Tri Wahyuni

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 635–652, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.44

• crystallinity, excellent elasticity, and mechanical strength, with fibers ranging from 200 to 3000 nm long and 10–75 nm wide [23]. Extraction at the nanoscale not only reduces structural defects within cellulose’s hierarchy but also introduces new characteristics such as increased surface area, thereby

Recent progress in enhancing built-in electric fields of perovskite solar cells via junction engineering

• Tong Xiao and
• Ke Xu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 602–621, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.42

• . Heterojunction systems, especially 2D/3D heterojunctions, enhance the BEF magnitude and extend its effective depth in the near-interface region through the synergistic effects of interfacial dipoles, intrinsic polarization, and penetrating low-dimensional phases, while simultaneously suppressing defects and

• distortions, create defects, and promote ion migration. To address these challenges, recent research has focused on precisely tuning the local potential via surface or near-surface doping and functionalization while preserving lattice continuity. Current efforts are also directed toward extending these

• natural vitamin C into the SnO2 ETL to reduce defects and improve electron transport. They also exploited the antioxidant and passivation effects of vitamin D2 to convert the perovskite surface from n-type to p-type, thereby forming a p-region approximately 80 nm thick at the top and spontaneously

Impacts of annealing on structural and photophysical properties of zinc phthalocyanine adsorbed on graphene

• Gautier Creutzer,
• Quentin Fernez,
• Nataliya Kalashnyk,
• Zohreh Safarzadeh,
• Lydia Sosa Vargas,
• Céline Fiorini-Debuisschert,
• Nicolas Fabre and
• Fabrice Charra

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 576–585, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.39

• of molecules in solution being already under shuttlecock form. Scanning tunneling microscopy Although the TSB35-family molecules form the same atomically precise self-assembly patterns on graphene and HOPG, the former is less convenient for STM observations because of defects inherently present in

Synthesis of Cu–Mo/TiO₂ and Co–Mo/TiO₂ photocatalysts for the efficient degradation of organic pollutants in water

• Ilse Acosta,
• Brenda Zermeño,
• Edgar Moctezuma,
• Luis F. Garay-Rodríguez and
• Isaías Juárez-Ramírez

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 559–570, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.37

• metal ions with low valence that have shown improvements when used as dopants in photocatalytic processes [17][18][19][20]. Cu2+ introduces shallow trapping sites that prolong charge-carrier lifetime [21]; it also creates defects in the TiO2 lattice, which increase the optical absorbance [22]. Cobalt

• -doped TiO2 can promote light absorption and induce lattice distortion and defects [19]. However, there are some challenges that need to be addressed to fully optimize Cu–TiO2 and Co–TiO2 systems. Although there are reports related to M-doped TiO2 (M = Cu, Co, or Mo), and different co-doped TiO2 systems

• the bandgap of TiO2 [36]. The new energy levels can act as recombination centers for electrons and holes, affecting the emission and absorption of photons [37]. Doping metal ions such as Fe, Ni, Co, and Cu into TiO2 introduces mid-gap or surface states and defects, such as oxygen vacancies [38]. The

Electrochemical determination of ciprofloxacin using a MIL-101/reduced graphene oxide-modified electrode

• Nguyen Quang Man,
• Nguyen Ngoc Nghia,
• Nguyen Vinh Phu,
• Vo Thi Khanh Ly,
• Le Lam Son,
• Pham Khac Lieu,
• Le Thi Hong Phong,
• Nguyen Dinh Luyen and
• Dinh Quang Khieu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 541–554, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.35

• are presented in Figure 1a,c. As shown in Figure 1c, GO exhibits two characteristic bands at ≈1345 cm−1 (D band) and ≈1599 cm−1 (G band), which are associated with structural defects/disorder and the in-plane vibration of sp2-bonded carbon atoms, respectively [23]. After chemical reduction, rGO shows

Upcycling agroindustrial waste into graphene oxide supports for gold nanoparticles: toward sustainable nanomaterials

• Juan Marcos Castro-Tapia,
• Selene Acosta,
• Hiram Joazet Ojeda-Galván,
• Elsie Evelyn Araujo-Palomo,
• Edgar Giovanni Villabona-Leal and
• Mildred Quintana

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 489–504, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.32

• atoms in aromatic domains and the D band around 1350 cm−1, associated with defects in the crystal lattice such as edges, vacancies, and oxygenated functional groups [38]. The intensity ratio between these peaks (ID/IG) is commonly used as an indicator of structural disorder or defect density in the

• material [39]. In the GO spectrum, the D and G bands are observed at 1320.4 and 1555.9 cm−1, respectively, with an ID/IG ratio of 1.07. This relatively high ratio indicates a high density of structural defects and a significant degree of oxidation. In contrast, the rGO sample shows a ratio of ID/IG = 1.10

• 0.74 (Agro-GOP), 0.78 (Agro-GOX), and 0.91 (Agro-GOC), which at first glance might suggest fewer defects. However, when interpreted alongside the pronounced blueshift of the π→π* transitions in UV–vis spectroscopy, these lower ratios instead indicate that the sp2 domains are small and highly fragmented

Defects and defect-mediated engineering of two-dimensional materials: challenges and open questions

• Arkady V. Krasheninnikov,
• Matthias Batzill,
• Anouar-Akacha Delenda,
• Marija Drndić,
• Chris Ewels,
• Katharina J. Franke,
• Mahdi Ghorbani-Asl,
• Alexander Holleitner,
• Ado Jorio,
• Ute Kaiser,
• Daria Kieczka,
• Hannu-Pekka Komsa,
• Jani Kotakoski,
• Manuel Längle,
• David Lamprecht,
• Yun Liu,
• Steven G. Louie,
• Janina Maultzsch,
• Thomas Michely,
• Katherine Milton,
• Anna Niggas,
• Hanako Okuno,
• Joshua A. Robinson,
• Marika Schleberger,
• Bruno Schuler,
• Alexander Shluger,
• Kazu Suenaga,
• Kristian S. Thygesen,
• Richard A. Wilhelm,
• E. Harriet Åhlgren and
• Carla Bittencourt

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 454–488, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.31

• Abstract Compared to bulk solids, defects in low-dimensional materials and, specifically, 2D systems are expected to have a stronger effect, detrimental or beneficial, on their properties. Owing to their geometry, defects in 2D materials can easily be formed due to the interaction with the environment or

• under impacts of energetic particles, such as ions and electrons. At the same time, many concepts of defect production under irradiation in bulk systems are not applicable for 2D materials or require substantial modifications. Various aspects of the physics and chemistry of defects in 2D materials have

• with low-dimensional targets, and defect-mediated engineering of the properties of 2D systems. We further discuss possible solutions to these problems or suggest “work-arounds”, which should accelerate the progress in the field. Keywords: 2D materials; defects; electron irradiation; ion bombardment

Interconnection morphology effects on the radio frequency response of carbon nanotube sponges

• Manuela Scarselli,
• Javad Rezvani,
• Zeno Zuccari,
• Mattia Scagliotti and
• Simone Tocci

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 343–351, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.23

• (Figure 4). The spectral range studied was 1100–1800 cm−1, where we observed the contributions from the D and G bands. The D band is associated with the presence of defects and disorder in the sp2 lattice, while the G band is a fingerprint of the sp2 order [31]. The D band is located at 1345 ± 2 cm−1 and

• of the G band of 34% ± 1%. This trend is confirmed by the IG/ID ratio, which increases from an initial value of 0.88 to 1.00. It must be noticed that the D band is already intense in the as-grown sample; it originates from the presence of defects in the tubes’ outer walls and from the highly

• composed mainly of electrons excited from the sp2 and sp3 hybridization of the honeycomb lattice and from the defects in the structure that also comprises OH groups. In particular, the spectra were fitted by the sum of three main components assigned to carbon–carbon bonds (C=C/C−C/C−H, 284.4 ± 0.1 eV

Beam shaping techniques for pulsed laser ablation in liquids: Unlocking tunable control of nanoparticle synthesis in liquids

• Sergio Molina-Prados,
• Nadezhda M. Bulgakova,
• Alexander V. Bulgakov,
• Jesus Lancis,
• Gladys Mínguez Vega and
• Carlos Doñate-Buendia

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 309–342, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.22

• tuning NP size, crystallinity, defects, and optical properties. Conventional batch PLAL setups often exhibit lower productivity than large-scale chemical or gas-phase syntheses; however, recent advances using megahertz-repetition-rate lasers and continuous-flow configurations have significantly increased

Fast vortex dynamics and relaxation times in NbRe-based heterostructures

• Francesco De Chiara,
• Zahra Makhdoumi Kakhaki,
• Francesco Avitabile,
• Francesco Colangelo,
• Abhishek Kumar,
• Carmine Attanasio and
• Carla Cirillo

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 292–302, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.20

• ; superconductivity; vortex dynamics; Introduction Vortex dynamics plays a central role in the electrical transport under magnetic fields in type-II superconductors and is an essential subject of research in superconductivity [1]. In inhomogeneous type-II superconductors, structural defects create pinning centers

• superconducting coherence. This phenomenon, known as flux-flow instability (FFI), depends on several factors such as structural disorder and defects [3], pinning mechanisms [4][5], thermal effects [6], and sample geometry [7]. FFI is effectively described by the Larkin–Ovchinnikov (LO) model [8], which relates

Advancing nanolithography: a comprehensive review of materials for local anodic oxidation with AFM

• Matteo Lorenzoni

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 275–291, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.19

• graphene or boron nitride, authors of [23] have shown how reaction by-products are efficiently removed, escaping as gas (i.e., CO2 in the case of graphene). The resulting patterns exhibit excellent quality with minimal defects (Figure 3e,f). However, a potential drawback is the use of Au-coated tips under

• surfaces), and environmental factors, such as humidity, which can impact reproducibility. LAO-grown oxide is less dense than thermally grown oxide, and mechanical stress between the substrate and oxide layer may lead to defects. In addition, the insulating nature of SiO2 limits its versatility compared to

• substrate (such as SiO2) and contacted from the top, oxidation can disrupt lateral conductivity, effectively isolating the 2D material and leading to unwanted defects. Bernal-stacked graphene allows for uniform oxidation across layers, while non-Bernal stacked graphene limits oxidation to the topmost layer

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

• (C–O, C=O, –OH) that can form hydrogen bonds or coordination interactions with citrate ligands and Au species [29][30]. These localized polar sites promote adsorption. Second, charge inhomogeneities on rGO arising from structural defects, residual oxygenated patches, and edge terminations create

• catalyst, and around 7 nm for both Au-SiW9/rGO and Au@SiW9/rGO. These values correlate with the particle size distributions observed in the TEM histogram analysis. The slight variation in measured sizes can be attributed to limitations of the instrumentation, the presence of structural defects, the

Time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging of contaminant species in chemical vapour deposited graphene on copper

• Barry Brennan,
• Vlad-Petru Veigang-Radulescu,
• Philipp Braeuninger-Weimer,
• Stephan Hofmann and
• Andrew J. Pollard

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 200–213, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.13

• Cu oxide across the imaged area, but without the same evidence of streaks of oxide as seen for the Ar:H2 sample. The suggests the extent of oxidation of the copper does vary, with regions with greater Cu− ion signal consistent with less oxidation. This could suggest variations in the level of defects

Functional surface engineering for cultural heritage protection: the role of superhydrophobic and superoleophobic coatings – a comprehensive review

• Giuseppe Cesare Lama,
• Marino Lavorgna,
• Letizia Verdolotti,
• Federica Recupido,
• Giovanna Giuliana Buonocore and
• Bharat Bhushan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 63–96, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.6

• labeled F-WPU@ZIF-8/ Ti3C2Tx. The two nanomaterials (the MOF ZIF-8 and the 2D MXene Ti3C2Tx), synthesized and dispersed uniformly before being incorporated into the WPU matrix and sprayed onto the bronze substrates, were aimed to fill microcracks and structural defects in the polymer matrix, improving

Reduced graphene oxide paper electrode for lithium-ion cells – towards optimized thermal reduction

• Agata Pawłowska,
• Magdalena Baran,
• Stefan Marynowicz,
• Aleksandra Izabela Banasiak,
• Adrian Racki,
• Adrian Chlanda,
• Tymoteusz Ciuk,
• Marta Wolczko and
• Andrzej Budziak

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 24–37, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.3

• lithium sulfur batteries [19]. Such an improvement is enabled by the graphene-like structure and the defects within the flakes, represented not only by non-regular rings in the carbon lattice but also by the presence of oxygen functionalities and their percentile content [20][21][22]. A schematic

• functions are presented in Figure 4. The A peak (also denoted as D*) possibly involves the C–H modes of the sp2 rings [21] or results from bonds between the sp2 and sp3 domains [36]. The C peak may also be of this origin [21]. The D peak refers to sp2 aromatic rings and their defects [21] and is also

• D peak [45]. The peak denoted as B (also denoted as D') is said to be related to Stone–Wales defects (5-7-7-5 rings), 5-8-5 rings [21], and other irregularities in the carbon rings. The D+G peak is of graphene/graphitic origin [21]. Upon reduction, the A and D'' peaks increased, suggesting an

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

• to treat morning sickness in pregnant women. One of its enantiomers was found to have sedative effects, while the other was identified as teratogenic, leading to tragic consequences, including over 10,000 severe birth defects in children [4][5][6][7][8]. Promoting the separation and detection of

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

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

• more surface area, allowing for better interaction with MPs [76]. The incorporation of GO in composite materials not only improves photocatalytic activity, but it also serves a second purpose by adsorbing MPs prior to degradation. The utilization of photocatalysts that have been engineered with defects

• is an emerging area. The defects in the crystal structure of nanomaterials trap light energy and enhance the production of ROS. According to Kim and Youn, these developments are essential to address the robustness and effectiveness of photocatalysts in a variety of environmental conditions [77]. 6.2

• simultaneously utilizing the abundant UV radiation [75]. It has been demonstrated that the light absorption of ZnO and TiO2 is improved by defect engineering, such as the introduction of oxygen vacancies. According to Kim and Youn, these defects trap light energy, which lowers charge carrier recombination rates

Electron transport through nanoscale multilayer graphene and hexagonal boron nitride junctions

• Aleksandar Staykov and
• Takaya Fujisaki

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2132–2143, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.147

• perpendicular to the layers in the stacking direction. We compared the decay of the current with the number of layers and evaluated the ability of h-BN to filter currents as a material coating. To investigate the effect of disorder, we included two major defects in the graphene lattice, namely, nitrogen doping

• and Stone–Wales defects. Nitrogen doping transforms graphene from a zero-bandgap semiconductor to a metal, while Stone–Wales defects open the bandgap. For h-BN, we considered Stone–Wales defects. A detailed comparison of electron transport through five materials, that is, multilayer nanoscale graphene

• [2], nanoscale electronics and electronic components [3], thermoelectric devices [4], and transparent films [5]. Graphene is a two-dimensional zero-bandgap semiconductor with excellent bulk conductivity. Its in-plane electron transport strongly depends on lattice order, lattice defects, and three

Molecular and mechanical insights into gecko seta adhesion: multiscale simulations combining molecular dynamics and the finite element method

• Yash Jain,
• Saeed Norouzi,
• Tobias Materzok,
• Stanislav N. Gorb and
• Florian Müller-Plathe

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2055–2076, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.141

Beyond the shell: exploring polymer–lipid interfaces in core–shell nanofibers to carry hyaluronic acid and β-caryophyllene

• Aline Tavares da Silva Barreto,
• Francisco Alexandrino-Júnior,
• Bráulio Soares Arcanjo,
• Paulo Henrique de Souza Picciani and
• Kattya Gyselle de Holanda e Silva

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2015–2033, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.139

• ], its concentration in the core significantly affects the overall viscosity of the solution, potentially causing instability in the Taylor cone and leading to bead formation and other morphological defects in the fibers [49]. Micrographs revealed the morphological changes resulting from different HA

• identified in the fiber structure were attributed to instabilities in the electrospinning process, likely resulting from the low core flow rate (0.04 mL/h). Despite these minor defects, the majority of the fibers exhibited continuous and well-defined cores, confirming the consistency of the process and their

• more prone to defects due to crystallization within a confined space [75]. As a result, water diffusion in these amorphous regions increases, and the catalytic effect of the carboxyl groups may accelerate the hydrolytic degradation of semicrystalline samples [20][65][73]. Furthermore, the crystallinity

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

• significant beam-induced substrate defects (e.g., Ga atom implantation). Additionally, material growth is required to compete with the FIB milling process [4][9]. The use of ions instead of electrons, like in FEBID, offers several benefits, including enhanced film quality and adhesion, better control over the

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

• instead arise from triboelectric, electrochemical, or mechanochemical contributions. (2) Confusion of mechanisms: Different studies attribute performance improvements either to symmetry breaking (ultrathin LDH, loss of inversion centers, piezoelectrical properties), to defects (oxygen vacancies and

Electrical, photocatalytic, and sensory properties of graphene oxide and polyimide implanted with low- and medium-energy silver ions

• Josef Novák,
• Eva Štěpanovská,
• Petr Malinský,
• Vlastimil Mazánek,
• Jan Luxa,
• Ulrich Kentsch and
• Zdeněk Sofer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1794–1811, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.123

• often leads to the displacement of the target nuclei and to significant defect formation in the irradiated material, such as substitution defects [21]. We performed an initial estimation of the ions’ energy losses and range depth of the implanted Ag ions in GO and PI films using SRIM software [22]. This

• structural analysis of GO before and after ion irradiation was conducted using Raman spectroscopy [28]. This spectroscopic technique, known for its effectiveness in probing disorders and defects within crystal structures, proved particularly valuable in characterizing graphite and its derivatives [29]. The

• of GO characterizes the degree of defects and structural disturbances in the carbon lattice. Similar results were obtained when GO was irradiated with 1.5 MeV Ag ions, with a significant decrease in the D peak. In this case, the decrease is most pronounced for the 3.75 × 1014 cm−2 ion fluence, with

Bioinspired polypropylene-based functionally graded materials and metamaterials modeling the mistletoe–host interface

• Lina M. Rojas González,
• Naeim Ghavidelnia,
• Christoph Eberl and
• Max D. Mylo

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1592–1606, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.113

• W, ensuring that only areas without visible defects were cut out of the plates. For specimens with rectilinear interfaces, conventional dog bone specimens were prepared. For specimens with V-shaped interfaces, however, the geometry had to be slightly adapted (widened) so that a complete V-shape