Investigation on drag reduction on rotating blade surfaces with microtextures

• Qinsong Zhu,
• Chen Zhang,
• Fuhang Yu and
• Yan Xu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 833–853, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.70

• moving animals, such as the “denticles” found on the surface of shark skin, which enable high-speed swimming [2], as well as the texture of bird feathers [3]. The phenomenon of drag reduction can also be observed on the surface of plants. For example, there is a superhydrophobic structure on the surface

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

• bodies of mammals, over trichomes of plants, to the mastigonemes on the flagella of single-celled organisms. While these long and slender protuberances are passive, they are multifunctional and help to mediate interactions with the environment. They provide thermal insulation, sensory information

• review include the hair and fur of mammals, the feathers of birds, the trichomes of plants, the setae of arthropods, and the ultrastructures of single-celled organisms. Figure 1A shows how the total hair mass mh scales with body mass mb. For mh, a material density of 1 g·cm−3 was assumed. A relationship

• is exemplified by hair's resistance to heat transfer in humans [4][24], and the role of hair in sensing mates by male mosquitoes [25]. Additionally, plants may exhibit hair-like fibrillar structures, such as the nanometer-thick mastigonemes on the flagella of microalgae [26] and the high-aspect-ratio

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

• , Figure 7B) [86]. The hemispherical pattern reduces the contact area between the cuticle and the substrate, thus decreasing contact forces. Similar surface structures were observed in the wax coverage of plants where they decreased the attachment performance of insects [84]. A reduction of the contact

Radiofrequency enhances drug release from responsive nanoflowers for hepatocellular carcinoma therapy

• Yanyan Wen,
• Ningning Song,
• Yueyou Peng,
• Weiwei Wu,
• Qixiong Lin,
• Minjie Cui,
• Rongrong Li,
• Qiufeng Yu,
• Sixue Wu,
• Yongkang Liang,
• Wei Tian and
• Yanfeng Meng

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 569–579, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.49

• leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Most patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage, and systemic chemotherapy is the preferred treatment modality for advanced HCC. Curcumin (CUR) is a polyphenolic antineoplastic drug with low toxicity obtained from plants. However, its low bioavailability and poor

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

• normal metabolism or an effect of exposure to external factors [3][4]. However, the natural antioxidants in our body do not always work efficiently because ROS are so pervasive. Although antioxidant supplements from natural sources such as plants and animals are considered an effective strategy to combat

• resistance to severe environments than the antioxidants originating from plants and animals. More interestingly, through nanoencapsulation and nanodelivery, antioxidant nanomaterials improve the pharmacokinetics of natural antioxidants by preventing their degradation under stress conditions [9][10

• ]. Pharmacokinetic analysis of curcumin-loaded polymeric nanoparticles after oral delivery in mice demonstrated a 20-fold decrease in dose requirement compared to natural curcumin [140]. Both experimental and molecular dynamics simulation studies suggested an optimal ferulic acid (an antioxidant in plants

Insect attachment on waxy plant surfaces: the effect of pad contamination by different waxes

• Elena V. Gorb and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 385–395, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.35

• used and positively correlated with each other [34]. The degree of pad contamination was higher in the tests with plants having larger dimensions and higher aspect ratios of the wax projections; however, the correlation between these two factors was non-significant in both cases (P = 0.068 for

• insects needed significantly more time during the second experiment on glass gl2 compared with the first experiment on glass gl1 (paired t-test: t = 2.203, p = 0.033) (Figure 6c). Considering force data obtained in experiments with different plant species, we found that in all plants studied, the waxy

• needed to reach the maximum traction force TFmax in the first gl1 and second gl2 experiments on glass, only in the case of I. germanica, it was significantly shorter during the second experiment on glass gl2 (Figure 7d and Table 1); for all other plants, this time was not significantly longer. Thus, the

Comparative electron microscopy particle sizing of TiO₂ pigments: sample preparation and measurement

• Ralf Theissmann,
• Christopher Drury,
• Markus Rohe,
• Thomas Koch,
• Jochen Winkler and
• Petr Pikal

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 317–332, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.29

• for product quality assurance by three TiO2 manufacturing companies and present number-based primary particle size distributions (PSDs) obtained in a round-robin study performed on five anatase pigments fabricated by means of sulfate processes in different plants and commonly used worldwide in food

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

• (p < 0.05) in soluble protein content by 23.1%, accompanied by a notable increase in IAA by 31.1%, indicating potential toxicity. The use of atomic absorption spectroscopy confirmed the internalization of zinc in seedlings, with a statistically significant increase (p < 0.05). In control plants

• ]. High concentrations of Zn are implicated in the shifting of soil microbial communities and inhibition of microbial enzymes, thereby affecting soil fertility [1]. The excess levels of Zn, disrupting soil homeostasis, negatively affects plants and human health by inducing acute toxicity due to the

• elevated accumulation of Zn [1][3]. Long-term, high-dose Zn supplementation disrupts copper intake, induces brain cell death, contributes to prostate cancer, and also functions as a gliotoxin and a neurotoxin [3][4]. Conversely, the most common micronutrient deficiency of crop plants is Zn deficiency

Development and characterization of potential larvicidal nanoemulsions against Aedes aegypti

• Jonatas L. Duarte,
• Leonardo Delello Di Filippo,
• Anna Eliza Maciel de Faria Mota Oliveira,
• Rafael Miguel Sábio,
• Gabriel Davi Marena,
• Tais Maria Bauab,
• Cristiane Duque,
• Vincent Corbel and
• Marlus Chorilli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 104–114, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.10

• naturally occurring in essential oils (EOs) of various aromatic plants, including the genera Artemisia, Protium, Origanum, and Thymus. Myrcene is an acyclic monoterpene found in hops, lemongrass, basil, and mangos [10]. Some intrinsic characteristics of monoterpenes, mainly poor water solubility and high

Berberine-loaded polylactic acid nanofiber scaffold as a drug delivery system: The relationship between chemical characteristics, drug-release behavior, and antibacterial efficiency

• Le Thi Le,
• Hue Thi Nguyen,
• Liem Thanh Nguyen,
• Huy Quang Tran and
• Thuy Thi Thu Nguyen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 71–82, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.7

• systems, and tissue engineering, according to the requirement of BBR concentration for the desired therapeutic effects. Keywords: antibacterial activity; berberine; drug-release system; electrospun nanofiber; polylactic acid; Introduction Medicinal plants have various biologically active compounds, such

• as phenolic acids, alkaloids, saponins, coumarins, flavonoids, terpenoids, and carotenoids with great therapeutic effects [1]. Berberine (BBR) is a quaternary isoquinoline alkaloid, extracted from different medicinal plants, such as Coptis chinensis and Berberis vulgaris [2], and used in the

Nanotechnological approaches in the treatment of schistosomiasis: an overview

• Lucas Carvalho,
• Michelle Sarcinelli and
• Beatriz Patrício

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 13–25, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.2

• drugs were able to cause alterations in parasite tegument [64]. Another work used carvacrol, a monoterpene present in essential oils derived from plants such as Origanum vulgare. Besides being commonly used as a flavoring agent in food and cosmetics, it shows antimicrobial activity. Xavier et al. [67

Prediction of cytotoxicity of heavy metals adsorbed on nano-TiO₂ with periodic table descriptors using machine learning approaches

• Joyita Roy,
• Souvik Pore and
• Kunal Roy

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 939–950, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.77

• , leading to bioaccumulation and biological hazards [13]. Heavy metals enter the human body through the consumption of fish and plants [14]. To date, heavy metals are removed through various methods. Among all methods available for removing heavy metals and toxic pollutants from waters, adsorption is the

Biomimetics on the micro- and nanoscale – The 25th anniversary of the lotus effect

• Matthias Mail,
• Kerstin Koch,
• Thomas Speck,
• William M. Megill and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 850–856, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.69

• “Purity of the sacred lotus” [1] in which they described the superhydrophobic surfaces and the self-cleaning ability of some plants (the so-called “lotus effect”, see Figure 1). This paper led to a paradigm shift in surface sciences. It generated a lot of interest at the time and continues today to

• concept of “copying” nature or learning from it arose (e.g., the story of Daedalus and Icarus [4]). This and other examples show that often physical phenomena in animals and plants can be described; however, it is not possible to immediately understand the mechanisms behind them and to transfer those to

• and insect attachment on leaf surfaces of Schismatoglottis calyptrata (Araceae)” a study of the development of cuticular ridges on the adaxial leaf surfaces during leaf ontogeny of the tropical Araceae S. calyptrata. The structure of these microscopic ridges helps plants to defend themselves against

Carboxylic acids and light interact to affect nanoceria stability and dissolution in acidic aqueous environments

• Matthew L. Hancock,
• Eric A. Grulke and
• Robert A. Yokel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 762–780, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.63

• dissolution and stabilization have been previously studied in vitro using acidic aqueous environments. Nanoceria agglomerated in the presence of some carboxylic acids over 30 weeks, and degraded in others, at pH 4.5 (i.e., the pH value in phagolysosomes). Plants release carboxylic acids, and cerium

• a second carboxylic acid group may optimally complex with nanoceria. The results provide mechanistic insight into the role of carboxylic acids in nanoceria dissolution and its fate in soils, plants, and biological systems. Keywords: acidic aqueous environments; carboxylic acids; electron microscopy

• , where it is known to dissolve and transform in the presence of chelating agents at low pH [15]. In cucumber plants, there is clear evidence of ceria uptake and transport throughout the plant. A fraction of the ceria formed cerium carboxyl complexes. No phytotoxicity was reported to the plant itself [16

A graphene quantum dots–glassy carbon electrode-based electrochemical sensor for monitoring malathion

• Sanju Tanwar,
• Aditi Sharma and
• Dhirendra Mathur

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 701–710, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.56

• insecticide is malathion, which kills insects such as fleas and ants that attack plants. Malathion has been detected so far using chromatography [4][5], colorimetry [6], and mass spectrometry [7], although these methods are complicated and time-consuming and require expensive equipment with specialized

Quercetin- and caffeic acid-functionalized chitosan-capped colloidal silver nanoparticles: one-pot synthesis, characterization, and anticancer and antibacterial activities

• Akif Hakan Kurt,
• Elif Berna Olutas,
• Fatma Avcioglu,
• Hamza Karakuş,
• Mehmet Ali Sungur,
• Cansu Kara Oztabag and
• Muhammet Yıldırım

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 362–376, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.31

• present in plants such as onions, soybeans, lettuce, apples, red grapes, broccoli, and tomatoes [17]. It is also a naturally forming polar auxin transport inhibitor [18]. Various biological and pharmacological properties of quercetin have been reported, including antiviral, antibacterial, antimicrobial

Bismuth-based nanostructured photocatalysts for the remediation of antibiotics and organic dyes

• Akeem Adeyemi Oladipo and
• Faisal Suleiman Mustafa

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 291–321, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.26

• the environment in low concentrations (micrograms per litre to nanograms per litre), are persistent and bioactive, potentially posing a threat to the food chain. Macrolides, fluoroquinolones, and tetracycline also have an impact on the synthesis of mitochondrial proteins and chloroplasts in plants [48

• ][66]. Fluoroquinolones have a detrimental impact on the morphology and photosynthesis of plants, as well as on the ability of eukaryotic cells to synthesise DNA and replicate plastids. Streptomycin prevents Hordeum vulgare from producing chlorophyll, while ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, and

• sulfadimethoxine considerably slow down plant growth. Additionally, tetracyclines have phytotoxic effects that may result in chromosomal abnormalities and the reduction of plant growth. Although β-lactams are thought to be less harmful, they also have an impact on the plastid division in lower plants [48][67]. The

In search of cytotoxic selectivity on cancer cells with biogenically synthesized Ag/AgCl nanoparticles

• Mitzi J. Ramírez-Hernández,
• Mario Valera-Zaragoza,
• Omar Viñas-Bravo,
• Ariana A. Huerta-Heredia,
• Miguel A. Peña-Rico,
• Erick A. Juarez-Arellano,
• David Paniagua-Vega,
• Eduardo Ramírez-Vargas and
• Saúl Sánchez-Valdes

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1505–1519, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.124

• ][27][28]. As mentioned by Raven [29], Cl− is an essential micronutrient for oxygenic photosynthetic organisms and is found in the environment in concentrations higher than those required by plants. Teixeira et al. [30] reported that the use of potassium chloride as a source of potassium for pineapple

Dry under water: air retaining properties of large-scale elastomer foils covered with mushroom-shaped surface microstructures

• Matthias Mail,
• Stefan Walheim,
• Thomas Schimmel,
• Wilhelm Barthlott,
• Stanislav N. Gorb and
• Lars Heepe

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1370–1379, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.113

• Matthias Mail Stefan Walheim Thomas Schimmel Wilhelm Barthlott Stanislav N. Gorb Lars Heepe Nees Institute for Biodiversity of Plants, University of Bonn, Venusbergweg 22, D-53115 Bonn, Germany Institute of Nanotechnology (INT) and Karlsruhe Nano Micro Facility (KNMF), Karlsruhe Institute of

• Holzgerlingen, Germany 10.3762/bjnano.13.113 Abstract Superhydrophobic surfaces are well known for most different functions in plants, animals, and thus for biomimetic technical applications. Beside the Lotus Effect, one of their features with great technical, economic and ecologic potential is the Salvinia

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

• both biological models for the tuyère problem. Instead, a seemingly not obvious biological model was identified, namely micropores within the cell walls of water-transporting conduits of plants that connect the conduits to a three-dimensional flow network. These specially shaped pores are assumed to be

• furnace; Collembola; gas/liquid interfaces; interfacial effects; persistant air layers; pits; Salvinia molesta; surfaces; tuyère failure; water transport in plants; xylem; Young–Laplace equation; Introduction and Motivation The basic concept of biomimetics is the derivation of technical applications from

• . Identification of a not-so-obvious biological model An improbable biological model for ferrophobic surfaces: xylem structures of vascular plants In a former biomimetic project (the research project “Hydrotex”, see appendix A), in which one co-author (W. K.) participated, the project goal was to construct a drag

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

• commonly used because cellulose is easy to obtain. The main component of plant cell walls in nature is cellulose, and more than 50% of the carbon content of plants in nature is cellulose. Cotton contains almost 100% cellulose, therefore, cellulose is abundant in nature and can be used to fabricate MEG

Rapid fabrication of MgO@g-C₃N₄ heterojunctions for photocatalytic nitric oxide removal

• Minh-Thuan Pham,
• Duyen P. H. Tran,
• Xuan-Thanh Bui and
• Sheng-Jie You

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1141–1154, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.96

• plants [46]. MgO generates the lowest amount of NO2 and by-products due to the lowest photocatalytic NO removal efficiency (16.8%). 3% MgO@g-C3N4 has the lowest NO2 (21.9%) and highest by-product (53.5%) generation. In addition, the NO2 generation of g-C3N4 is almost equal to that of 1% MgO@g-C3N4. This

Green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles toward highly efficient photocatalysis and antibacterial application

• Vo Thi Thu Nhu,
• Nguyen Duy Dat,
• Le-Minh Tam and
• Nguyen Hoang Phuong

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1108–1119, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.94

• alternative route is a promising method for synthesizing nanomaterials due to its rapid, low-cost protocol, and safety to the environment [18]. Numerous studies applied green methods for the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles from plants, fruits, plant extracts, and seaweeds [19][20][21][22]. Rafaie et al. [23

Recent advances in green carbon dots (2015–2022): synthesis, metal ion sensing, and biological applications

• Aisha Kanwal,
• Naheed Bibi,
• Sajjad Hyder,
• Arif Muhammad,
• Hao Ren,
• Jiangtao Liu and
• Zhongli Lei

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1068–1107, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.93

• manufacturing CDs from these plant components. Plant-based precursors that contain heteroatoms (nitrogen and sulfur) are preferred over carbon sources that demand supplementary heteroatoms for the synthesis of CDs [53]. Without surface-passivating agent: Plants are rich in biomolecules such as carbohydrates and

Interaction between honeybee mandibles and propolis

• Leonie Saccardi,
• Franz Brümmer,
• Jonas Schiebl,
• Oliver Schwarz,
• Alexander Kovalev and
• Stanislav Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 958–974, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.84

• development process that led to the anatomical investigation of honeybee mandibles. The hypothesis is that animal species that regularly have close contact with resinous plants or even actively harvest resins may have developed counter-stickiness strategies. This is because animals that permanently stick to a

• resin sources. Some plants might release chemicals that are picked up by bees [4][13]. Some bees have also been observed probing different plants before collecting resin [14]. When they have found a resin source, they start by first biting off a piece of resin and working it with the mandibles [4][15