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

• cosmetics, hydrogels, and lubricants [62]. In lipid nanoparticles, PEG is normally incorporated in the form of PEG lipids, which reside in the surface bilayer to reduce particle aggregation and nonspecific binding. However, studies have shown that PEGylated LNPs can elicit immune responses and accelerated

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

• also hold promise in regenerative dentistry. Incorporated into scaffolds, membranes, and hydrogels, they have demonstrated the ability to enhance osteogenesis and angiogenesis while simultaneously reducing microbial contamination [19]. These multifunctional biomaterials not only support bone and

Parylene-coated platinum nanowire electrodes for biomolecular sensing applications

• Chao Liu,
• Peker Milas,
• Michael G. Spencer and
• Birol Ozturk

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1392–1400, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.101

• stability of metal nanoparticles limits their application in biological systems and decreases their performance [12]. Other materials like silicon quantum dots, ion-imprinted polymer, and hydrogels have unique biocompatibility and specificity advantages, but long-term stability and cost make them

Hydrogels and nanogels: effectiveness in dermal applications

• Jéssica da Cruz Ludwig,
• Diana Fortkamp Grigoletto,
• Daniele Fernanda Renzi,
• Wolf-Rainer Abraham,
• Daniel de Paula and
• Najeh Maissar Khalil

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1216–1233, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.90

• stability, absorption, and biodistribution impairments. Among the DDSs, we can highlight hydrogels and nanogels, which are easy to obtain, show good biocompatibility, and have several applications in the design of drug carriers for dermal and ocular administration. In this review, we introduce a brief

• concept on hydrogels, underlining compounds such as chitosan and alginate, and methods used for their preparation. Nanogels, with their attractive features, such as high drug encapsulation and penetration enhancer embedding, are also addressed. Finally, the application of these systems in dermal

• -1950s and 1960s [1][2][3][4]. From the beginning, hydrogels composed of cross-linked acrylic acid were designed to release drugs into the body [5]. 2-Hydroxyethyl methacrylate was one of the first compounds used to build hydrogels as drug delivery systems (DDSs) [6]. Over the past century, hydrogels

Investigation of the solubility of protoporphyrin IX in aqueous and hydroalcoholic solvent systems

• Michelly de Sá Matsuoka,
• Giovanna Carla Cadini Ruiz,
• Marcos Luciano Bruschi and
• Jéssica Bassi da Silva

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1209–1215, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.89

• aggregation, and improve bioavailability in aqueous media [5][16]. Additionally, at high concentrations, P407 can transition into more complex nanostructured systems, such as hydrogels and lyotropic liquid crystals, providing additional control over drug release and stability. The thermosensitive and self

• -assembling properties of P407 make it suitable for advanced nanostructures drug delivery platforms, including polymeric microneedles and hydrogels, ensuring enhanced drug retention and permeation [15][17][18]. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the best solvent system for PpIX, in order to

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

• composition of living cells and organisms includes a multitude of biomolecules, which can be regulated in terms of both concentration and spatial distribution. This enables the exertion of complex biological functions. Synthetic multinetwork hydrogels can be considered analogous to extracellular matrices, and

• have attracted attention due to their exceptionally high toughness and other properties. In a recent review, Kubota provided an overview of the advancements in research on supramolecular-polymer composite hydrogels, a novel class of multinetwork hydrogels [282]. Composite hydrogels can be designed to

• integrate the stimuli responsiveness of supramolecular gels with the rigidity of polymer gels in a rational manner. Supramolecular–polymer composite hydrogels integrate the properties of supramolecular networks and polymer networks, including stimuli responsiveness and rigidity/toughness. This distinctive

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

• play an essential role in the structure and function of biomolecules (deoxyribonucleic acid, protein, and phospholipid membrane). Hydration layers are also important to the structure and property of artificial graphene-based materials. Our recent works prove that graphene-based hydrogels are

• hydrogel structure in comparison with dry powder structure. The synthesis of graphene-based hydrogels is a green chemistry approach to attain extraordinary properties of graphene-based nanostructures. Analytical characterizations exhibited moisture contents, water evaporation rates, three-dimensional

• coating on polymer substrates, typically polylactide films. Interfacial adhesion of graphene-based nanosheets on polylactide substrates made the antibacterial coating stable for several application purposes. In general, supramolecular graphene-based hydrogels are bioinspired hydration structures to

Polyurethane/silk fibroin-based electrospun membranes for wound healing and skin substitute applications

• Iqra Zainab,
• Zohra Naseem,
• Syeda Rubab Batool,
• Muhammad Waqas,
• Ahsan Nazir and
• Muhammad Anwaar Nazeer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 591–612, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.46

• more effective wound-healing substitutes [50]. Recent advancements in tissue regeneration have further led to the development of innovative wound dressings such as hydrogels and electrospun scaffolds [51]. Electrospinning is an extremely flexible technique that can convert liquids, suspensions, or

• dermal matrix [85]. In vitro studies showed that the use of electrospun silk nanofibers favors the attachment of human fibroblasts, keratinocytes, and deposition of collagen type I [86]. Silk can be processed into hydrogels, scaffolds, and films with the incorporation of bioactive factors such as growth

• for tissue engineering, particularly for bone, ligaments, tendons, blood vessels, and cartilage, where mechanical properties and biological interactions are crucial. SF can be fabricated into foams, films, fibers, meshes, and hydrogels, as shown in Figure 4 [97]. Films made of fibroin and collagen

Synthetic-polymer-assisted antisense oligonucleotide delivery: targeted approaches for precision disease treatment

• Ana Cubillo Alvarez,
• Dylan Maguire and
• Ruairí P. Brannigan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 435–463, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.34

• both protein and gene expression, thereby inhibiting the proliferation of targeted colon cancer cells [147][148][149]. In another study, Venuganti et al. prepared hydrogels containing anti-Bcl-2-PAMAM G4 dendrimer complexes for topical targeted iontophoretic delivery of phosphorothioate

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

• rich functional groups and surface dangling bonds, enables the effective loading of drugs, targeting molecules, and antibodies [15]. When combined with thermal/pH-sensitive materials, shape memory materials, and hydrogels, they form an efficient platform for photothermal therapy [16]. The efficient

• release are crucial to enhancing drug utilization efficiency and positively impact patient compliance [129][130]. Hydrogels that exhibit reversible gel-to-sol transitions upon heating are emerging as promising materials for photothermal drug release [131]. The application of visible and NIR light locally

• heats the photothermal nanomaterials embedded in these hydrogels, causing them to soften reversibly and release the encapsulated drug. The rate of drug release can be finely tuned by adjusting the concentration of the hydrogel and photothermal nanomaterial, as well as the irradiation conditions [132

A review of metal-organic frameworks and polymers in mixed matrix membranes for CO₂ capture

• Charlotte Skjold Qvist Christensen,
• Nicholas Hansen,
• Mahboubeh Motadayen,
• Nina Lock,
• Martin Lahn Henriksen and
• Jonathan Quinson

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 155–186, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.14

Natural nanofibers embedded in the seed mucilage envelope: composite hydrogels with specific adhesive and frictional properties

• Agnieszka Kreitschitz and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1603–1618, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.126

• The increasing interests in natural, biodegradable, non-toxic materials that can find application in diverse industry branches, for example, food, pharmacy, medicine, or materials engineering, has steered the attention of many scientists to plants, which are a known source of natural hydrogels

• . Natural hydrogels share some features with synthetic hydrogels, but are more easy to obtain and recycle. One of the main sources of such hydrogels are mucilaginous seeds and fruits, which produce after hydration a gel-like, transparent capsule, the so-called mucilage envelope. Mucilage serves several

• the mucilage envelope, primarily in the context of its structure and physical properties, as well as biological functions associated with these properties. Keywords: adhesion; cellulose; friction; hydrogel; mucilage envelope; seeds; Introduction The definition of hydrogels describes them as

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

Electrospun polysuccinimide scaffolds containing different salts as potential wound dressing material

• Veronika Pálos,
• Krisztina S. Nagy,
• Rita Pázmány,
• Krisztina Juriga-Tóth,
• Bálint Budavári,
• Judit Domokos,
• Dóra Szabó,
• Ákos Zsembery and
• Angela Jedlovszky-Hajdu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 781–796, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.65

• observed no significant difference in the viability between the control (nontreated) and PASP-treated cells [74]. Furthermore, Juriga et al. found that MG-63 cells can proliferate on PASP-based hydrogels [75]. Like the tumor cells, 155BR human fibroblasts were also subjected to cytotoxicity assays (Figure

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

• hydrogels is not well reported. In this study, nanomakura-shaped anisotropic gold nanoparticles (AuNMs) were synthesized via a surfactant-assisted seed-mediated protocol. Quaternary cationic surfactants having variable carbon tail length (n = 16, 14, 12) were used as capping for tuning the plasmon peak of

• photothermal conversion was exclusively assigned to morphological features (i.e., nanoparticles of higher aspect ratio showed higher temperature change and vice versa irrespective of the surfactant used). To enable biofunctionality and stability, we used kappa-carrageenan- (k-CG) based hydrogels for

• hydrogels for enabling usage on nanophotonic, photothermal, and bio-imaging applications. Keywords: anisotropy; hydrogel; kappa-carrageenan; metal nanoparticles; nanoarchitectonics; nanomakura; photothermal properties; surfactants; Introduction Nanoarchitectonics is the fabrication of functional material

Classification and application of metal-based nanoantioxidants in medicine and healthcare

• Nguyen Nhat Nam,
• Nguyen Khoi Song Tran,
• Tan Tai Nguyen,
• Nguyen Ngoc Trai,
• Nguyen Phuong Thuy,
• Hoang Dang Khoa Do,
• Nhu Hoa Thi Tran and
• Kieu The Loan Trinh

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 396–415, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.36

• is not an ideal method because it can be painful. In response, antioxidant nanomaterials coupled with hydrogels provide a promising method to topically deliver antioxidant nanomaterials into the body [154][155]. Nanoantioxidants (such as fullerene, cerium, gold, silver, and iron nanoparticles) and

• hydrogels (such as gelatin methacryloyl, chitosan/polycaprolactone, polyvinyl alcohol/chitosan, and polypyrrole-grafted gelatin) were combined to generate diverse combinations of nanocomposites for wound repair [156][157][158][159][160][161]. This strategy not only endows nanoantioxidants with topical

Influence of conductive carbon and MnCo₂O₄ on morphological and electrical properties of hydrogels for electrochemical energy conversion

• Sylwia Pawłowska,
• Karolina Cysewska,
• Yasamin Ziai,
• Jakub Karczewski,
• Piotr Jasiński and
• Sebastian Molin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 57–70, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.6

• ; hydrogel; hydrogen; oxygen evolution reaction; polymer composites; Introduction Hydrogels are defined as a group of polymeric materials with an insoluble hydrophilic structure which gives them the ability to absorb and hold large amounts of water (up to over 99 wt %) in their three-dimensional network

• . The phenomenon in which hydrogels swell in water while not dissolving in it is due to hydrophilic functional groups attached to the polymer backbone and cross-links between the network chains. High water content makes hydrogel materials similar in terms of microstructure and flexibility to living

• ][2][3]. The methods of synthesising hydrogels are divided into two basic groups, including physical and chemical cross-linking. Physical cross-linking methods, which are mainly related to the synthesis of natural hydrogels, include changes in intermolecular interactions (e.g., hydrophobic

Industrial perspectives for personalized microneedles

• Remmi Danae Baker-Sediako,
• Benjamin Richter,
• Matthias Blaicher,
• Michael Thiel and
• Martin Hermatschweiler

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 857–864, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.70

• hydrogels infused with hyaluronic acid, salicylic acid, caffeine, various vitamins (B3, C, and E), and a blend of various peptides. Beyond cosmetic applications, microneedle patches are also being investigated for vaccine delivery. The most notable example of vaccine-loaded microneedles comes from the

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

• animal dermis and ensures its long-term applicability for actual solar steam generation [42]. In 2018, Yin et al. reported a poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) and PANI-based photothermal double-network hydrogel called p-PEGDA-PANI [35]. Porous PEGDA (p-PEGDA) hydrogels were obtained by a facile

• solvent casting/particle leaching process. Then, the polymeric photothermal material PANI nanowires were cross-linked to the p-PEGDA hydrogels. This manufacturing process is simple, time-saving, and cost-effective (Figure 7a). The strong absorption capability of PANI was verified by its absorption

• spectrum and UV–vis–NIR absorption spectra of the hydrogels. (Figure 7 was adapted with permission from [35], Copyright 2018 American Chemical Society). (a) Schematic illustration of the synthetic route to APDA. (b) UV–vis–NIR absorption spectra of APDA and PDA. (c) Absorption spectrum of the APDA–wood

Cyclodextrins as eminent constituents in nanoarchitectonics for drug delivery systems

• Makoto Komiyama

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 218–232, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.21

• example, hydrogels and nanoparticles [38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46]. More recently, however, precisely designed CyD-based nanoarchitectures are primarily considered since more sophisticated and complicated functions are designable and accomplishable (Figure 1). The construction of sophisticated

• cellulose chains were functionalized with β-CyD, and hydrogels were prepared by adding connector molecules bearing two arylazopyrazole groups at the ends [53]. Without photoirradiation, the arylazopyrazoles are stably accommodated in the cavities of β-CyD groups, and thus the gel is well crosslinked and

• inclusion complexes with β-CyD. Figure 2 was reproduced from [50] (“Supramolecular hydrogels constructed by red-light-responsive host–guest interactions for photo-controlled protein release in deep tissue“ by D. Wang et al., © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2015, distributed under the terms of the Creative

Frequency-dependent nanomechanical profiling for medical diagnosis

• Santiago D. Solares and
• Alexander X. Cartagena-Rivera

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1483–1489, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.122

• . Similar considerations exist for the development of soft wearable sensors or hydrogels for wound healing or drug delivery, among others. In all cases, it is of prime importance to create project teams with the appropriate make-up of expertise and within a well-designed strategy, such that ideas can be

Biomimetic chitosan with biocomposite nanomaterials for bone tissue repair and regeneration

• Se-Kwon Kim,
• Sesha Subramanian Murugan,
• Pandurang Appana Dalavi,
• Sebanti Gupta,
• Sukumaran Anil,
• Gi Hun Seong and
• Jayachandran Venkatesan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1051–1067, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.92

• related to β-catenin signalling for the osteogenic process was confirmed by Western blot analysis [67]. Chitosan–copper nanocomposites Several research discoveries have proven the osteogenic properties of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs). Injectable hydrogels comprising copper with bioactive nanoparticles

• fabrication of scaffolds for cartilage tissue engineering applications. The 2 cm × 2 cm PLGA electrospun nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning which incorporated those with hydroxybutyl chitosan hydrogels. The polycaprolactone scaffold was 3D printed and reinforced with hydrogel scaffolds to mimic the

Bioselectivity of silk protein-based materials and their bio-inspired applications

• Hendrik Bargel,
• Vanessa T. Trossmann,
• Christoph Sommer and
• Thomas Scheibel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 902–921, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.81

• /nanohydroxyapatite composite hydrogels have been studied regarding bone tissue engineering [124]. Spider silk has also been widely used as a multifunctional material for fishing nets, wound coverings, and sutures for surgery for centuries in Australasia and Greece [108]. Since then, it came in focus of researchers

• coatings, recombinant spider silk proteins based on eADF4 can be processed into 3D scaffolds, such as foams or hydrogels due to their self-assembly properties [169][171][172][173][174]. Balb 3T3 fibroblasts adhered to porous foams made of eADF4(C16)-RGD and showed spreading and cell elongation along the

• hydrogels, while they could not attach to unmodified eADF4(C16) hydrogels [174]. A previously published in vivo study of an arteriovenous loop model in rats showed that RGD-functionalized spider silk hydrogels significantly enhanced angiogenesis by forming new blood vessels compared to unmodified eADF4(C16

Effects of substrate stiffness on the viscoelasticity and migration of prostate cancer cells examined by atomic force microscopy

• Xiaoqiong Tang,
• Yan Zhang,
• Jiangbing Mao,
• Yuhua Wang,
• Zhenghong Zhang,
• Zhengchao Wang and
• Hongqin Yang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 560–569, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.47

• Information File 1, Figure S1). After culturing the cells on the substrates for 48 h, we measured the ability of the cells to migrate on the hydrogels for 24 h to ensure that the cells were in a stable state on the hydrogels (Figure 2a). We observed that the rate of cell migration on the hydrogel was

• viability of cancer cells and can promote their migration and invasion. Morphological analysis showed different cellular characteristics in different substrates Differences in cell motility on hydrogels with different stiffness values are inevitably limited by the physical limitations of the hydrogel, which

• most visually affects the morphology of the cells. When HPV-PZ-7 and PC-3 cells were cultured on hydrogels of different stiffness values for 48 h, we observed through the analysis of phase-contrast microscopy images that most cells on stiff substrates were elongated and had a higher degree of cell

Ciprofloxacin-loaded dissolving polymeric microneedles as a potential therapeutic for the treatment of S. aureus skin infections

• Sharif Abdelghany,
• Walhan Alshaer,
• Yazan Al Thaher,
• Maram Al Fawares,
• Amal G. Al-Bakri,
• Saja Zuriekat and
• Randa SH. Mansour

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 517–527, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.43

• mechanical properties, many studies have shown better mechanical properties of PVA/PVP hydrogels [39][40][41]. In one study, the tensile strength of PVA hydrogel was increased by 133% after blending with less than 2% w/w PVP [42]. This is due to the formation of relatively strong hydrogen bonds between the