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

• surfaces can prevent the wear of moving parts in devices such as hard drives and printers, ensuring longer operational life and reliability. The mechanisms behind the cuticle’s friction-reducing properties also include the ability to repel dust and contaminants, which further extends the applications of

Nanoarchitectonics with cetrimonium bromide on metal nanoparticles for linker-free detection of toxic metal ions and catalytic degradation of 4-nitrophenol

• Akash Kumar and
• Raja Gopal Rayavarapu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1312–1332, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.106

• does not allow for interactions with ligands via ion–ion interactions. Therefore, multiple surface modifications or linkers must be used for selective interaction between ligand and CTAB-capped gold and silver nanoparticles [7][9]. Contaminants in form of heavy metals and pollutant such as 4

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

• early diagnosis and improved treatment outcomes [98]. In environmental monitoring, alginate nanoparticles have been employed for the detection of pollutants and contaminants in water and air, helping to ensure environmental safety [99]. The main factor for the sensing ability of alginate is the surface

• to detect a wide range of contaminants with high selectivity, accuracy, and sensitivity [101][102]. One of the main advantages of alginate-based nanoparticles is their biocompatibility and biodegradability, which make them ideal for use in environmental sensing. Furthermore, the availability of

Bolometric IR photoresponse based on a 3D micro-nano integrated CNT architecture

• Yasameen Al-Mafrachi,
• Sandeep Yadav,
• Sascha Preu,
• Jörg J. Schneider and
• Oktay Yilmazoglu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1030–1040, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.84

• 600 nm thick thermally oxidized SiO2 layer. The wafer was p-type and lightly boron-doped (Si-Mat, Silicon Materials). The substrate was thoroughly cleaned to remove impurities and contaminants to provide an ideal condition for CNT growth. Subsequently, an essential 30 nm aluminum oxide (AlOx) layer

Recent progress on field-effect transistor-based biosensors: device perspective

• Billel Smaani,
• Fares Nafa,
• Mohamed Salah Benlatrech,
• Ismahan Mahdi,
• Hamza Akroum,
• Mohamed walid Azizi,
• Khaled Harrar and
• Sayan Kanungo

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 977–994, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.80

• , automation, and reducing costs and time. Biosensors have also been designed to detect chemical and biological substances in food items, which might be contaminants or undesirable elements [5][7][8][9]. The presence of chemicals is often considered an environmental problem as chemical species contaminate

Beyond biomimicry – next generation applications of bioinspired adhesives from microfluidics to composites

• Dan Sameoto

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 965–976, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.79

• surfaces: Unlike a gecko, the adhesive materials do not need to be overdesigned for potentially touching dirty, rough, wet surfaces but can always be in contact with an ideally suited surface. No contaminants: When contained within a composite, these adhesives can be almost entirely free of contaminants

Water-assisted purification during electron beam-induced deposition of platinum and gold

• Cristiano Glessi,
• Fabian A. Polman and
• Cornelis W. Hagen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 884–896, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.73

• -only experiments at lower exposure times, only a brightening of the patterning area is observed, indicating cleaning of the substrate, that is, removal of carbon contaminants. After increasing the number of passes to 100 (2.3 nA) or 500 (0.54 nA), the bright region extends outside of the patterning

• patterned area is seen, suggesting further oxidation of the Si substrate (similar to the observation presented in Figure 7) [57]. At the same time, at the perimeter of the BSE range, the formation of a dark halo is observed where the deposition of carbon from contaminants dominates the water-assisted

• some deposition of purified material occurs in the patterning area. The dark halo developing at the perimeter of the BSE range is due to the deposition of carbon-containing material from both the Pt precursor and contaminants in the system. At 5000 and 10000 passes (at 2.3 nA), a clear deposit becomes

Intermixing of MoS₂ and WS₂ photocatalysts toward methylene blue photodegradation

• Maryam Al Qaydi,
• Nitul S. Rajput,
• Michael Lejeune,
• Abdellatif Bouchalkha,
• Mimoun El Marssi,
• Steevy Cordette,
• Chaouki Kasmi and
• Mustapha Jouiad

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 817–829, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.68

• generation of electron–hole pairs (EHPs) [21]. The generated EHPs react with oxygen and water molecules to produce highly reactive species, such as hydroxyl radicals, which oxidize and degrade MB contaminants. Hence, evaluating the PD processes in the case of MoS2 and WS2 as TMD materials is crucial for

Synthesis of silver–palladium Janus nanoparticles using co-sputtering of independent sources: experimental and theorical study

• Maria J. Martínez-Carreón,
• Francisco Solís-Pomar,
• Abel Fundora,
• Claudio D. Gutiérrez-Lazos,
• Sergio Mejía-Rosales,
• Hector N. Fernández-Escamilla,
• Jonathan Guerrero-Sánchez,
• Manuel F. Meléndrez and
• Eduardo Pérez-Tijerina

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 808–816, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.67

• drift”. Figure 4b presents the spectrum of elementary analysis; the two elements silver and palladium appear. All characterization techniques, as well as the calculation of the interplanar distances, showed only the presence of silver and palladium without any contaminants or other metals, which

Exploring surface charge dynamics: implications for AFM height measurements in 2D materials

• Mario Navarro-Rodriguez,
• Andres M. Somoza and
• Elisa Palacios-Lidon

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 767–780, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.64

• ethanol and MQ water. Subsequently, the substrate was exposed to UV/ozone for 15 min to eliminate organic contaminants and promote the hydrophilicity of the SiO2 surface. GO (Graphenea), was employed without further treatment, while rGO was obtained through chemical reduction using hydrazine hydrate (50

Green synthesis of biomass-derived carbon quantum dots for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue

• Dalia Chávez-García,
• Mario Guzman,
• Viridiana Sanchez and
• Rubén D. Cadena-Nava

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 755–766, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.63

• industrial wastewater. Photocatalysis is an environmentally friendly water purification method that uses light-activated catalysts to destroy contaminants, offering an advantage over traditional methods that merely transfer contaminants between phases [17][18][19]. While some studies on CQDs involve costly

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

• a self-cleaning paint called Lotusan®. Superhydrophic, fibrillar surfaces are also present in animals, such as insects, spiders, and geckos. Similar to plants, these structures help to maintain a clean body surface by enabling the rolling-off of water, which collects unwanted contaminants, or by

• see [5]. However, we will mention some of the cleaning functions of hairs here. Hairs around the eyes of mammals (eyelashes) and on the eyes of insects (interommatidial setae) have been found to minimize the deposition of particle-laden contaminants through aerodynamic interactions [42][43]. Hairs on

• honey bees have been found to facilitate both the collection and removal of pollen grains through the geometries of the hair arrays on their eyes and grooming appendages [44]. Mammalian fur effectively sheds contaminants because the hair deflects when exposed to a fluid flow. This deflection generates a

Comparative analysis of the ultrastructure and adhesive secretion pathways of different smooth attachment pads of the stick insect Medauroidea extradentata (Phasmatodea)

• Julian Thomas,
• Stanislav N. Gorb and
• Thies H. Büscher

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 612–630, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.52

• risk of trapping contaminants in the inter-tarsomeric membranous region. The removal of particulate contaminants is very important as they are known to cause abrasive wear in the open insect joints [86]. Anti-adhesive surface structures in the periphery of the active working areas of the attachment

Controllable physicochemical properties of WO_x thin films grown under glancing angle

• Rupam Mandal,
• Aparajita Mandal,
• Alapan Dutta,
• Rengasamy Sivakumar,
• Sanjeev Kumar Srivastava and
• Tapobrata Som

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 350–359, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.31

• organic contaminants. Prior to the deposition, the substrates were properly air-dried. A 99.99% pure WO3 target (5 mm thick) was used to grow the WOx films. The initial pressure in the deposition chamber was 5 × 10−7 mbar, and the WOx films were deposited at 5 × 10−3 mbar working pressure by injecting

Determining by Raman spectroscopy the average thickness and N-layer-specific surface coverages of MoS₂ thin films with domains much smaller than the laser spot size

• Felipe Wasem Klein,
• Jean-Roch Huntzinger,
• Vincent Astié,
• Damien Voiry,
• Romain Parret,
• Houssine Makhlouf,
• Sandrine Juillaguet,
• Jean-Manuel Decams,
• Sylvie Contreras,
• Périne Landois,
• Ahmed-Azmi Zahab,
• Jean-Louis Sauvajol and
• Matthieu Paillet

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 279–296, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.26

Ultrasensitive and ultrastretchable metal crack strain sensor based on helical polydimethylsiloxane

• Shangbi Chen,
• Dewen Liu,
• Weiwei Chen,
• Huajiang Chen,
• Jiawei Li and
• Jinfang Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 270–278, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.25

• successfully retrieved by peeling it off from the screw. In order to eliminate the contaminants from the surface of the helically structured PDMS, a 10 min ultrasound treatment in absolute alcohol was employed, followed by drying in a sterile oven. Prior to the Au deposition, the outer surface of the helically

Graphene removal by water-assisted focused electron-beam-induced etching – unveiling the dose and dwell time impact on the etch profile and topographical changes in SiO₂ substrates

• Aleksandra Szkudlarek,
• Jan M. Michalik,
• Inés Serrano-Esparza,
• Zdeněk Nováček,
• Veronika Novotná,
• Piotr Ozga,
• Czesław Kapusta and
• José María De Teresa

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 190–198, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.18

• amorphous carbon from the hydrocarbon contaminants to the water etching (FEBIE) at low vacuum mode (90 Pa of H2O) with increasing electron flux was previously observed by Toth et al. [23]. At a stationary exposure and current of 71 pA (lower electron flux), the authors observe a carbonous pillar-like

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

• contaminants were present in the PXRD pattern, specifying that the principal component at the inorganic phase of the sample was ZnO. Hence, the findings unequivocally substantiated the synthesis of ZnO NPs. The FTIR analysis was conducted to validate the presence of specific functional groups on the surface of

A combined gas-phase dissociative ionization, dissociative electron attachment and deposition study on the potential FEBID precursor [Au(CH₃)₂Cl]₂

• Elif Bilgilisoy,
• Ali Kamali,
• Thomas Xaver Gentner,
• Gerd Ballmann,
• Sjoerd Harder,
• Hans-Peter Steinrück,
• Hubertus Marbach and
• Oddur Ingólfsson

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1178–1199, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.98

• atmosphere for 90 minutes to demonstrate the effect of surface preparation (reduction of C and O contaminants) on the quality of deposition. After preparation, AES was performed to check the surface cleanliness and to compare with the uncleaned surface (Supporting Information File 1, Figure S5). The

Spatial variations of conductivity of self-assembled monolayers of dodecanethiol on Au/mica and Au/Si substrates

• Julian Skolaut,
• Jędrzej Tepper,
• Federica Galli,
• Wulf Wulfhekel and
• Jan M. van Ruitenbeek

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1169–1177, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.97

• substrates were used directly out of the box without any further cleaning steps. Au/Si was additionally cleaned by boiling in acetone followed by ethanol for 20 min under a fume hood. It was then dried in a glovebox in N2 atmosphere, exposed to ozone to remove organic contaminants, and finally rinsed with

Dual-heterodyne Kelvin probe force microscopy

• Benjamin Grévin,
• Fatima Husainy,
• Dmitry Aldakov and
• Cyril Aumaître

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1068–1084, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.88

• cantilevers (PPP-EFM, Nanosensors, resonance frequency in the range 45–115 kHz), annealed in situ to remove atmospheric contaminants. The dual-heterodyne KPFM mode was implemented by combining the SPM unit with two digital lock-ins from Zurich Instruments (lock-in 1: MFLI, lock-in 2: HF2LI). Both are equipped

Ultralow-energy amorphization of contaminated silicon samples investigated by molecular dynamics

• Grégoire R. N. Defoort-Levkov,
• Alan Bahm and
• Patrick Philipp

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 834–849, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.68

• higher-energy argon atoms at grazing incidence do not produce amorphization, we will proceed to analyze the implantation depths of the contaminants and argon atoms in the sample. Implantation depth The distribution of implanted argon is extremely sensitive to the impact energy and the incidence angle

• the contaminant will play a major role in the amorphization of the sample. This observation is especially interesting as we can find some conditions where the contaminants are quite efficiently removed. We began to underline this set of conditions in the previous section, and we will pursue the

• discussion in the forthcoming sections. In Figure 7, we can see that the mean implantation depths of the contaminants are increasing with impact energy, as expected, with a slight difference between oxygen and hydrogen, which is related to their mobility. Because of the electronegativity of oxygen and its

Silver-based SERS substrates fabricated using a 3D printed microfluidic device

• Phommachith Sonexai,
• Minh Van Nguyen,
• Bui The Huy and
• Yong-Ill Lee

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 793–803, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.65

• the potential to be a valuable analytical tool for monitoring environmental contaminants. Keywords: 3D printing; microfluidic droplet; SERS substrate; silver nanoparticle; smartphone detection; Introduction Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) has emerged as a powerful optical trace detection

Silver nanoparticles loaded on lactose/alginate: in situ synthesis, catalytic degradation, and pH-dependent antibacterial activity

• Nguyen Thi Thanh Tu,
• T. Lan-Anh Vo,
• T. Thu-Trang Ho,
• Kim-Phuong T. Dang,
• Van-Dung Le,
• Phan Nhat Minh,
• Chi-Hien Dang,
• Vinh-Thien Tran,
• Van-Su Dang,
• Tran Thi Kim Chi,
• Hieu Vu-Quang,
• Radek Fajgar,
• Thi-Lan-Huong Nguyen,
• Van-Dat Doan and
• Thanh-Danh Nguyen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 781–792, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.64

• also valuable catalysts for the removal of environmental contaminants in aqueous solutions. The high surface-to-volume ratio of AgNPs provides many active sites, thereby, enhancing their catalytic activity [32]. The catalytic activity of AgNPs is also influenced by the morphology and the use of capping

• . Subsequently, AgNPs@Lac/Alg was characterized using various analytical techniques and applied for the catalytic degradation of contaminants and in bacterial activity assays. Absorption spectra were analyzed to monitor changes in physicochemical properties at the maximum peak region of surface plasmon resonance

• . Thus, AgNPs@Lac/Alg-0.7 was selected for assessment of its catalytic and antibacterial properties in this study. Catalytic degradation of contaminants Toxic organic dyes pose a serious threat to the environment, and their non-biodegradability in aqueous media has led to the consideration of various

Nanomaterials for photocatalysis and applications in environmental remediation and renewable energy

• Viet Van Pham and
• Wee-Jun Ong

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 722–724, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.58

• , and related fields [4]. To reduce contaminants (e.g., air pollution (CO2, NOx, SO2), POPs) there are many routes (e.g., physicochemical approaches, biological fixation, advanced oxidation process, and photocatalysis [5][6][7][8]). Among the aforementioned methods, the photocatalysis route is