Comparative study on 3D morphologies of delignified, single tracheids and fibers of five wood species

• Helen Gorges,
• Felicitas von Usslar,
• Cordt Zollfrank,
• Silja Flenner,
• Imke Greving,
• Martin Müller,
• Clemens F. Schaber,
• Chuchu Li and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 239–250, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.16

• , Technical University of Munich, Straubing, Germany Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Geesthacht, Germany 10.3762/bjnano.17.16 Abstract Wood tracheids and fibers exhibit diverse structures and shapes across plant species. The hierarchical structure and composition of cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin enables

• wood to withstand high stress. This structural resilience makes wood a versatile material for applications ranging from construction to advanced composites. However, a detailed understanding of how delignification affects softwood tracheid and hardwood fiber morphology is crucial for predicting

• material behavior and developing modified wood products. This study investigated the overall structural changes due to delignification, in five wood species, namely, spruce, beech, balsa, Douglas fir, and poplar. It additionally provides detailed morphology of delignified single tracheids and fibers

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

• explores recent advancements in protective strategies for heritage materials including stone, concrete, ceramic, glass, metal, wood, and textiles. Special attention is given to the development and application of superhydrophobic and superoleophobic coatings, which offer promising defense against moisture

• to summarize relevant papers and materials advancements related to their application in the growing field of cultural heritage protection, with a major focus on superhydrophobic and superoleophobic characteristics. It starts with the substrate materials (stone, wood, metal, ceramics/glass, and

• vulnerability of the material through porosity and microstructure; and (iv) the chemical composition of the material itself, that is, stone, wood, metal, or ceramic. For this reason, it is necessary to fix a single factor and evaluate the variation of the others. Herein, we have chosen the substrate material to

Targeting the vector of arboviruses Aedes aegypti with nanoemulsions based on essential oils: a review with focus on larvicidal and repellent properties

• Laryssa Ferreira do Nascimento Silva,
• Douglas Dourado,
• Thayse Silva Medeiros,
• Mariana Alice Gonzaga Gabú,
• Maria Cecilia Queiroga dos Santos,
• Daiane Rodrigues dos Santos,
• Mylena Lemos dos Santos,
• Gabriel Bezerra Faierstein,
• Rosângela Maria Rodrigues Barbosa and
• Fabio Rocha Formiga

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1894–1913, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.132

• . (2022) developed an oil-in-water nanoemulsion containing Santalum album (sandalwood) essential oil and evaluated its larvicidal activity against Ae. aegypti [120]. The essential oil was extracted by hydrodistillation from the wood and roots of Santalum album, a tree native to India, East Asia, northern

Current status of using adsorbent nanomaterials for removing microplastics from water supply systems: a mini review

• Nguyen Thi Nhan and
• Tran Le Luu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1837–1850, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.127

• ]. Similarly, You et al. reported on MOFs grown on a wood aerogel, ZIF-8@Aerogel, achieving removal efficiencies for polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and PS particles of 91.4% and 85.8%, respectively [62]. Through electrostatic interactions, mesoporous UiO-66-NH2/P123 exhibited exceptional performance, achieving

Beyond the bilayer: multilayered hygroscopic actuation in pine cone scales

• Kim Ulrich,
• Max David Mylo,
• Tom Masselter,
• Fabian Scheckenbach,
• Sophia Fischerbauer,
• Martin Nopens,
• Silja Flenner,
• Imke Greving,
• Linnea Hesse and
• Thomas Speck

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1695–1710, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.119

• Breisgau, Germany Plant Biomechanics Group @ Botanic Garden, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany Department of Microsystems Engineering—IMTEK, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany Biomimetics Group, Institute for Wood Sciences, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany

• Thünen Institute of Wood Research, Hamburg, Germany Institute of Materials Physics, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Geesthacht, Germany 10.3762/bjnano.16.119 Abstract The anisotropic hygroscopic behavior of pine cone scales and its effect on bending motion, with implications for bioinspired actuation, is

• , winged seeds are blocked and protected by the scales under wet conditions and released under dry conditions for wind dispersal. The inspiration provided by such biological motion principles has driven innovation in a variety of fields, including wood elements for weather-responsive and self-forming

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

• innovative solutions in MPs remediation. You et al. [119] synthesized a robust composite material, ZIF-8@Aerogel, by growing Zn-based MOF ZIF-8 directly onto wood-derived aerogel fibres. This composite demonstrated effective MP removal in both freshwater and seawater simulations. Specifically, it achieved a

The role of biochar in combating microplastic pollution: a bibliometric analysis in environmental contexts

• Tuan Minh Truong Dang,
• Thao Thu Thi Huynh,
• Guo-Ping Chang-Chien and
• Ha Manh Bui

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1401–1416, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.102

• interactions in soil [31]. Biochar properties The physical and chemical properties of biochar depend significantly on the composition of its feedstock [46]. Molecular model calculations and quantum chemistry analyses suggest that biochar derived from wood exhibits superior physical properties, such as porosity

Hymenoptera and biomimetic surfaces: insights and innovations

• Vinicius Marques Lopez,
• Carlo Polidori and
• Rhainer Guillermo Ferreira

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1333–1352, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.107

• sliding along each other [154] (Figure 7A,B). The size of this structure can vary significantly, ranging from micrometers to the longest ovipositors documented in Arthropoda with lengths of over 100 mm [155][156], facilitating oviposition in diverse substrates such as wood, soil, or within other organisms

• Centre have drawn inspiration from the wood wasp to create a drilling system that is simple, robust, lightweight, and efficient for use on extra-terrestrial subsurface exploration [165][166][167][168]. The ovipositor’s structural and functional characteristics can inform the design of robotic systems

Functional fibrillar interfaces: Biological hair as inspiration across scales

• Guillermo J. Amador,
• Brett Klaassen van Oorschot,
• Caiying Liao,
• Jianing Wu and
• Da Wei

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 664–677, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.55

• of gigapascals, comparable to typical values for wood. Therefore, they can be quite robust to mechanical stimuli from external sources. Mammals possess guard hairs, that are interspersed with the rest of their body hairs or furs. These hairs are distinctly thicker than the rest and have been reported

Microneedle patches – the future of drug delivery and vaccination?

• Zahra Faraji Rad,
• Philip D. Prewett and
• Graham J. Davies

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 494–495, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.40

• clinical use since the 17th century. The first bevelled metal hypodermic needles were introduced by Francis Reed in 1844, followed by the syringe and needle combination, due to Alexander Wood, in 1853. Needles for a single intravenous dose (IV push) or bolus normally use a fixed intravenous hollow needle

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

• ][49][50]. In 2021, Zou et al. developed a biodegradable and sustainable bilayer composite for highly efficient solar evaporation based on a photothermally enhanced arginine-doped polydopamine (APDA) and raw wood [47]. In this study, APDA coatings with enhanced photothermal effects were prepared by

• , eventually resulting in APDA derivatives (Figure 8a). The formed APDA derivatives displayed a strong and broad absorption in the range of 500–1400 nm (Figure 8b). APDA was then combined with wood. It was coated on the surface of a wood piece and allowed to dry under ambient conditions. This simple process

• produced the homogeneous formation of the APDA layer on the wood surface. The APDA-coated wood sample efficiently absorbed UV–visible light to more than 96%. In addition, the NIR absorption efficiency was also improved to more than 87% (Figure 8c). SSG structure In order to obtain a high vaporization

Non-stoichiometric magnetite as catalyst for the photocatalytic degradation of phenol and 2,6-dibromo-4-methylphenol – a new approach in water treatment

• Joanna Kisała,
• Anna Tomaszewska and
• Przemysław Kolek

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1531–1540, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.126

• , BFRs), wood preservatives, and components in the polymer industry [4][5]. Bromophenols from various industries can cause severe contamination of soil, sediment, and water [6][7]. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) has listed BPs as hazardous waste with strict environmental

Straight roads into nowhere – obvious and not-so-obvious biological models for ferrophobic surfaces

• Wilfried Konrad,
• Christoph Neinhuis and
• Anita Roth-Nebelsick

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1345–1360, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.111

• principle was aimed at in the research project “Energy self-sufficient fibre based long-distance transport of liquids” (see appendix A). The xylem is the plant tissue that transports water from the roots to the leaves. In trees and shrubs, the xylem is represented by the wood. It consists of conduits of

Growing up in a rough world: scaling of frictional adhesion and morphology of the Tokay gecko (Gekko gecko)

• Anthony J. Cobos and
• Timothy E. Higham

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1292–1302, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.107

• structure on speed and acceleration capacity in climbing geckos, and they found that acceleration was greatest on the smoothest surface (wood) where the most contact between the adhesive system and the surface could be made [27]. This illustrates that the main issue faced by geckos that are attaching via

Application of nanoarchitectonics in moist-electric generation

• Jia-Cheng Feng and
• Hong Xia

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1185–1200, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.99

• materials such as paper [79], cellulose nanofibrils, which were exfoliated mechanically from naturally biomass [80], natural wood [81]. In other works with cellulose doping [55][82][83], voltages of, respectively, 250, 100, and 300 mV were obtained. Li et al. studied in detail the effects of various

• Chemistry A., vol. 7, issue 36, © 2019); permission conveyed through Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. This content is not subject to CC BY 4.0. (b) A picture of a wood nanogenerator, a SEM image of beech wood, and a schematic illustration of the device are shown from left to right. Figure 7b was reprinted

Progress and innovation of nanostructured sulfur cathodes and metal-free anodes for room-temperature Na–S batteries

• Marina Tabuyo-Martínez,
• Bernd Wicklein and
• Pilar Aranda

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 995–1020, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.75

• two fabrication methods of dispersed Na anodes. In one liquid Na is soaked into a porous scaffold, while in the other Na ions plate the porous host material. An example of the former method is the use of carbonized wood, into the open pore system of which liquid Na is soaked (Figure 9A) [67]. Also

Nanogenerator-based self-powered sensors for data collection

• Yicheng Shao,
• Maoliang Shen,
• Yuankai Zhou,
• Xin Cui,
• Lijie Li and
• Yan Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 680–693, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.54

• [28][29][30], body fluid composition [31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39], biological nerve impulses [40], and gas sensors [18][19][20]. Self-powered sensors based on NGs can analyze objects from a new perspective. The materials of NG come from a wide range of sources, such as wood [41][42], paper [43

Novel reversibly switchable wettability of superhydrophobic–superhydrophilic surfaces induced by charge injection and heating

• Xiangdong Ye,
• Junwen Hou and
• Dongbao Cai

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 840–847, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.84

• for converting superhydrophobic surfaces into superhydrophilic surfaces after only 10 min of ultraviolet irradiation. Gao et al. [6] prepared 18 alkyltrichlorosilane-modified TiO2 films for the reversible switching between superhydrophilicity and superhydrophobicity of a wood surface. Feng et al. [7

Topochemical engineering of composite hybrid fibers using layered double hydroxides and abietic acid

• Liji Sobhana,
• Lokesh Kesavan,
• Jan Gustafsson and
• Pedro Fardim

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 589–605, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.60

• composites by utilizing the intermolecular hydrogen bonds in natural materials. These materials include wood pulp fibers, abietic acid (resin acid) and inexpensive metal salts. In this work, a hybrid composite was created using bleached and unbleached kraft pulp fibers as cellulose platform. In situ co

• materials and applied chemistry, which strive to develop new end-products with novel functionalities via chemical bonds and physical interactions [1]. Wood pulp is one of these renewable materials. It is obtained from forest products industries and stands as a source of many polymeric materials such as

• addition, these –OH groups facilitate binding between cellulose fibers strands in wood pulp via intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Thus, they contribute to the moderate inherent tensile strength of the fibers as well [9]. On the contrary, there has been always a research motivation to make cellulose

Nanocellulose: Recent advances and its prospects in environmental remediation

• Katrina Pui Yee Shak,
• Yean Ling Pang and
• Shee Keat Mah

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2479–2498, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.232

• common type of plant fibre used for cellulose fabrication is wood pulps (categorized under other fibres) due to its relatively high cellulose purity, durable and ductile networks, and good physical properties compared with other plant-based sources [51]. In the past decade, wood pulp nanocellulose has

• produced via chemical pretreatment, mechanically disintegrated nanocellulose is clustered (agglomerated) with larger dimensions [66]. According to Park et al. [67], the chemical composition in wood-based CNF has an effect on the defibrillation efficiency in wet disk-milling, which improved defibrillation

• poor solubility in acidic solution and hence, limits its practical application as a flocculant in these conditions [136]. Therefore, chemical pretreatments such as carboxymethylation [79], periodate-chlorite oxidation [79][131], aminoguanidine-reacted wood celluloses [131], 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin

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

• drugs that can inhibit the growth of these harmful bacteria in its early stage. Nanoparticles and nanostructures in plants Wood is made of natural fibers that are considered as cellular hierarchical bio-composites. Natural fibers are composites of cellulosic-fibrils at the nanoscale level. The simplest

• form of nanometer-sized cellulosic-fibrils are 100–1000 nm long, containing both crystalline and amorphous segments. The unique strength and extreme performance properties of various natural fibers such as wood are attributed to their elementary hierarchical structure with nanofibrillar components [187

• orders are provided. It is observed that wood termite (Schedorhinotermes sp.) and cicada (Meimuna microdon) wings are concealed by a denticle layer, while hornet (Vespa sp.) wings are covered by multiple setae. The water contact angles (WCA) are observed to be less than 150° for both the structures [224

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

• plants that complete their entire lifecycle in a year, and perennials/biennials regrow from a part of the plant that stays alive but submerged during part of the year. Woody plants refer to those plants that stay alive above ground each year and are characterized by the wood tissue that continually grows

• those plants that survive above ground all year, encompassing trees, shrubs, and lianas (woody vines). Wood, the characteristic tissue in these plants, is fibrous cellulose composite. Primary growth refers the elongation of plant tissue that is seen across most plant species. While some herbaceous

Humidity-dependent wound sealing in succulent leaves of Delosperma cooperi – An adaptation to seasonal drought stress

• Olga Speck,
• Mark Schlechtendahl,
• Florian Borm,
• Tim Kampowski and
• Thomas Speck

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 175–186, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.20

• tension during ontogeny and which are more efficient in supporting the larger adult woody plant body. However, in some species, adult plants remain locked in the production of initial wide-band tracheid in their wood. This can be interpreted as a case of paedomorphosis [12][13]. In leaves of D. cooperi

Bio-inspired micro-to-nanoporous polymers with tunable stiffness

• Julia Syurik,
• Ruth Schwaiger,
• Prerna Sudera,
• Stephan Weyand,
• Siegbert Johnsen,
• Gabriele Wiegand and
• Hendrik Hölscher

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 906–914, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.92

• several examples of porous structures and composites having excellent mechanical properties that surpass the properties of the constituent materials. Prominent examples are wood, bone, or bird beaks [1]. The outstanding properties of the pomelo peel, though, are less known. The pomelo (Citrus maxima) is a

Biomechanics of selected arborescent and shrubby monocotyledons

• Tom Masselter,
• Tobias Haushahn,
• Samuel Fink and
• Thomas Speck

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1602–1619, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.154

• Dracaena to other massive monocotyledon stems, we also compared our measured data with data from hollow culms of bamboo, horsetails and grasses as well as with massive herbaceous plants such as tobacco and with data from the wood of dicotyledons in order to present our data in a broad context. 1 Young’s

• plants. The Young’s modulus in D. marginata increases linearly with density for both primary and secondary tissues. This general trend is also known for bamboo [2][26] and wood [27], though a linearity of the correlation – as found in D. marginata – was only found in older stems of the black locust

• abundance of wood is also interpreted as one of the causes of the higher values for the axial Young’s modulus in conifers and dicotyledonous trees such as Douglas fir, white spruce and northern oak [35] as compared to stems of D. marginata. Another reason is the less dense arrangement of the fibrous bundles