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

• . Macroscopically observable mucilage is often a transparent, gel-like capsule formed around the diaspore after hydration with water (Figure 1). At the microscale mucilage exhibits, before hydration, successive layers formed by adcrustation in the mucilaginous cells of the seed/fruit coat (the outermost covering of

• hydration [8][22][38]. Mucilage, which is produced by the mucilaginous cells of diaspores in a form of densely packed layers, has the ability of loosening its structure after hydration into an easily accessible 3D fibrillar network [7][13][14][39] (Figure 3 and Figure 4 below). One of the key components of

• typical part of plant cells, and its basic chemical composition includes cellulose, hemicelluloses, and pectic polysaccharides [44][45][46][47]. Cellulose is a linear polymer composed of β-1,4-linked ᴅ-glucose [47]. The cellulose chains are held together by intramolecular hydrogen bonds, forming cellulose

Liver-targeting iron oxide nanoparticles and their complexes with plant extracts for biocompatibility

• Shushanik A. Kazaryan,
• Seda A. Oganian,
• Gayane S. Vardanyan,
• Anatolie S. Sidorenko and
• Ashkhen A. Hovhannisyan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1593–1602, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.125

• particles have been identified as 80–90% in the liver, 5–8% in the spleen, and 1–2% in the bone marrow [30]. One of the major organs where nanoparticles are likely to accumulate, depending on the route of administration, is the liver [31][32][33], where Kupffer cells can quickly uptake large nanoparticles

• , lysosomes, the Golgi apparatus, and the endoplasmic reticulum [44][45]. Wu and colleagues found that Fe3O4 NPs up to 5 nm in size can penetrate cells and initiate the Fenton reaction, resulting in the formation of genotoxic •OH radicals [20]. Moreover, iron overload in cells can lead to ferroptosis [46][47

• Fe3O4 NPs on liver tissue revealed practically no direct hepatotoxic properties. Increases in ALT and AST activities in some groups (Figure 1 and Figure 2) may be associated with effects of these agents also on the mitochondria of other cell types. Toxicity in cells leads to weakened mitochondrial

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles derived from algae and their larvicidal properties to control Aedes aegypti

• Matheus Alves Siqueira de Assunção,
• Douglas Dourado,
• Daiane Rodrigues dos Santos,
• Gabriel Bezerra Faierstein,
• Mara Elga Medeiros Braga,
• Severino Alves Junior,
• Rosângela Maria Rodrigues Barbosa,
• Herminio José Cipriano de Sousa and
• Fábio Rocha Formiga

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1566–1575, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.123

• vectors are nanomaterials or nanomaterial-based formulations as so-called nanopesticides, providing new, modern, and low-cost formulations [9][10] with the ability to penetrate through the exoskeleton into mosquito cells, causing mortality after binding to proteins or DNA [11]. Nanomaterials provide

• of toxicity of AgNPs in mosquito larvae has recently been reported (Figure 3). The small size of AgNPs is linked to two pathways of action. First, AgNPs can pass through the insect cuticle and penetrate individual cells. The second way is the ingestion of AgNPs by larvae through their generalist

• eating habits. For both pathways, damage to the midgut, epithelial cells, and cortex in mosquito larvae can be observed, resulting in physiological changes such as shrinkage in the abdominal region, change in the shape of the thorax and loss of lateral hairs, oral brushes, and anal gills. These processes

Ultrablack color in velvet ant cuticle

• Vinicius Marques Lopez,
• Wencke Krings,
• Juliana Reis Machado,
• Stanislav Gorb and
• Rhainer Guillermo-Ferreira

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1554–1565, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.122

• role in thermal regulation [32]. Additionally, previous studies have suggested a potential association between dark colors in velvet ants and photoprotection [16]. In this case, the dark cuticle would function as a radiation filter to prevent ultraviolet radiation from reaching the cells underneath

The round-robin approach applied to nanoinformatics: consensus prediction of nanomaterials zeta potential

• Dimitra-Danai Varsou,
• Arkaprava Banerjee,
• Joyita Roy,
• Kunal Roy,
• Giannis Savvas,
• Haralambos Sarimveis,
• Ewelina Wyrzykowska,
• Mateusz Balicki,
• Tomasz Puzyn,
• Georgia Melagraki,
• Iseult Lynch and
• Antreas Afantitis

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1536–1553, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.121

• -across and QSPR, has been recently introduced and applied to the prediction of NM cytotoxicity [44], power conversion efficiency of organic dyes in dye-sensitized solar cells [45][46], detonation heat for nitrogen containing compounds [47], and to the prediction of surface area of perovskite materials

Integrating high-performance computing, machine learning, data management workflows, and infrastructures for multiscale simulations and nanomaterials technologies

• Fabio Le Piane,
• Mario Vozza,
• Matteo Baldoni and
• Francesco Mercuri

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1498–1521, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.119

Polymer lipid hybrid nanoparticles for phytochemical delivery: challenges, progress, and future prospects

• Iqra Rahat,
• Pooja Yadav,
• Aditi Singhal,
• Mohammad Fareed,
• Jaganathan Raja Purushothaman,
• Mohammed Aslam,
• Raju Balaji,
• Sonali Patil-Shinde and
• Md. Rizwanullah

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1473–1497, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.118

• improve the selective delivery of drugs/phytochemicals to specific tissues or cells. A site-specific targeting approach enhances the therapeutic efficacy of phytochemicals and reduces systemic toxicity. In addition to enhancing solubility and targeting, PLHNPs offer controlled release properties that are

• in the distribution of phytochemicals throughout the body rather than targeting specific tissues or cells. Non-specific distribution increases the risk of off-target effects and systemic toxicity, reducing the concentration of the phytochemical at the desired site of action and decreasing therapeutic

• , prolongs their circulation time in the body, and enhances their therapeutic effectiveness [42][43]. Additionally, surface engineering of PLHNPs with different ligands facilitates specific delivery of drug/phytochemicals to desired tissues or cells, reduces their adverse effects, and improves their

Effect of radiation-induced vacancy saturation on the first-order phase transformation in nanoparticles: insights from a model

• Aram Shirinyan and
• Yuriy Bilogorodskyy

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1453–1472, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.117

• simulations reveals that the critical irradiation dose for nanocrystallinity collapse varies among different simulation cells. Not only the size, but also the crystallographic orientation, shape of the grains, and structure of the grain boundaries have a strong impact on the stability of the nanocrystalline

• phase [7]. In all cells, the grains undergo a phase transition from a pure high-density fcc phase to a mixture of fcc and bcc phases during prolonged irradiation. These simulations confirm that the phase transition occurs because of the ground-state energies of the compositions rather than the

Strain-induced bandgap engineering in 2D ψ-graphene materials: a first-principles study

• Kamal Kumar,
• Nora H. de Leeuw,
• Jost Adam and
• Abhishek Kumar Mishra

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1440–1452, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.116

• unchanged under the influence of mechanical strain, preserving its initial characteristic of having a direct bandgap. This behavior offers opportunities for these materials in various vital applications in photodetectors, solar cells, LEDs, pressure and strain sensors, energy storage, and quantum computing

• that remains unchanged under mechanical strain. This outcome offers various critical applications of ψ-graphane in photodetectors, solar cells, LEDs, pressure and strain sensors, energy storage, and quantum computing. The mechanical strain tolerance of pristine and fully hydrogenated ψ-graphene is

• space group P2mg [39]. The unit cell of ψ-graphene contains 12 carbon atoms. In comparison, the unit cells of ψ-graphone and ψ-graphane consist of 12 carbons and six hydrogens and 12 carbons and 12 hydrogen atoms, respectively (Figure 1) [38][39]. For the sampling of the Brillouin zone, we used a well

Lithium niobate on insulator: an emerging nanophotonic crystal for optimized light control

• Midhun Murali,
• Amit Banerjee and
• Tanmoy Basu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1415–1426, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.114

• wavelength-selective nature of DBRs makes them particularly attractive for solar cell applications, where the ability to control the absorption spectrum can lead to significant performance improvements [38][39][40]. Colloidal quantum dot (CQD) solar cells are attracting significant research due to their

• potential as a next-generation photovoltaic technology [41][42]. These cells offer a compelling alternative to traditional silicon solar cells because of the low manufacturing cost. Additionally, CQDs possess a unique property – their bandgap can be tuned by adjusting the size of the dots. This allows them

• to capture a wider range of sunlight compared to traditional materials, potentially leading to higher solar energy conversion efficiency [43]. Bae et al. focussed on lead sulfide (PbS) CQDs solar cells where they addressed the major challenge of charge carrier recombination which limits the

Nanotechnological approaches for efficient N2B delivery: from small-molecule drugs to biopharmaceuticals

• Selin Akpinar Adscheid,
• Akif E. Türeli,
• Nazende Günday-Türeli and
• Marc Schneider

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1400–1414, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.113

• considered a challenge because of the existence of the blood–brain barrier (BBB, Figure 1), which is composed of several cell types [7]. The BBB is a dynamic and selective interface between the systemic circulation and the brain [8]. The structure of the healthy BBB relies on the endothelial cells and the

• tight barrier formed using tight junctions [9][10][11]. These are surrounded by other cell types, such as astrocytes and pericytes. Astrocytes are crucial for the formation and maintenance of the BBB, which leads to an adequate association between the cells and the BBB. Pericytes are also important

• regulatory cells for the homeostasis of the BBB. The interaction between astrocytes and pericytes plays a vital role in brain vasculogenesis and the maintenance of the BBB [12]. Overall, the high selectivity of the BBB provides optimal conditions for CNS homeostasis [13]. Because of the presence of the BBB

Various CVD-grown ZnO nanostructures for nanodevices and interdisciplinary applications

• The-Long Phan,
• Le Viet Cuong,
• Vu Dinh Lam and
• Ngoc Toan Dang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1390–1399, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.112

• ], radio-frequency magnetron sputtering [47], pulsed laser ablation [48], and electrodeposition methods [49]. They have many application potentials in dye-sensitized solar cells [46], self-powered energy-harvesting devices [47], photocatalysts [48], and turbid lenses [50]. It has been suggested that the

A biomimetic approach towards a universal slippery liquid infused surface coating

• Ryan A. Faase,
• Madeleine H. Hummel,
• AnneMarie V. Hasbrook,
• Andrew P. Carpenter and
• Joe E. Baio

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1376–1389, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.111

• in adherent platelets on PDA–FDT–PFD compared to glass (Figure 7). This suggests that the SLIPS coating is not completely omniphobic as adherent cells are observed. Fibrin generation time was determined on BSA, glass, bare COC, and PDA–FDT–PFD. We expected to observe a longer fibrin generation time

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

• antennal glands [100][101]. This association is unique in that the bacteria are grown in large reservoirs within the antennae, where they receive nutrients from the gland cells. When the beewolf constructs its subterranean brood cells, it secretes these bacteria into the cells, where they produce

Interaction of graphene oxide with tannic acid: computational modeling and toxicity mitigation in C. elegans

• Romana Petry,
• James M. de Almeida,
• Francine Côa,
• Felipe Crasto de Lima,
• Diego Stéfani T. Martinez and
• Adalberto Fazzio

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1297–1311, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.105

• to GO causes significant damage to intestinal microvilli cells . Furthermore, Dou et al. [53] showed that GO triggers cell autophagy as a protective response to the material. Apoptosis was observed in germline cells, indicating that GO can damage gonad development and reduce the reproduction rate of

Dual-functionalized architecture enables stable and tumor cell-specific SiO₂NPs in complex biological fluids

• Iris Renata Sousa Ribeiro,
• Raquel Frenedoso da Silva,
• Romênia Ramos Domingues,
• Adriana Franco Paes Leme and
• Mateus Borba Cardoso

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1238–1252, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.100

• nanoparticles are not hemolytic. Remarkably, the functionalized SiO2NPs are more internalized by tumor cells than their healthy counterparts. Investigations of this nature play a crucial role in garnering results with greater reliability, allowing the development of nanoparticle-based pharmaceutical drugs that

• [1][2][3][4]. Consequently, the scientific community has focused on improving the targeting of nanoparticles (NPs) to tumor cells through surface functionalization with active groups (e.g., folate, monoclonal antibodies) [5][6][7]. However, according to the literature, only 0.7% of the injected dose

• of NPs accumulates in tumors and <0.0014% are internalized by the cells [8][9][10][11]. Once in contact with blood, NPs interact with a series of physiological components (e.g., amino acids, salts, and proteins), which can induce poor colloidal stability or changes in the original chemical and

Realizing active targeting in cancer nanomedicine with ultrasmall nanoparticles

• André F. Lima,
• Giselle Z. Justo and
• Alioscka A. Sousa

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1208–1226, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.98

• primarily occurs via transendothelial transport pathways [6][7]. Regardless of the mode of NP extravasation, active targeting strategies have been widely explored to further enhance NP accumulation in tumors and NP internalization by cancer cells [8][9]. Active targeting involves the modification of NPs

• incorporation of active targeting strategies is expected to further enhance the selectivity and performance of usNPs for cancer treatment. By designing usNPs to target surface receptors on cancer cells, tumor retention can be improved by minimizing particle intravasation back to tumor blood vessels. Active

• interaction with cell surface receptors on cancer cells, the incorporation of targeting ligands onto usNPs must optimize the exposure, orientation, and conformation of the functional portion. For small molecules and peptides in particular, the functional moiety must circumvent both steric hindrance from the

Synthesis, characterization and anticancer effect of doxorubicin-loaded dual stimuli-responsive smart nanopolymers

• Ömür Acet,
• Pavel Kirsanov,
• Burcu Önal Acet,
• Inessa Halets-Bui,
• Dzmitry Shcharbin,
• Şeyda Ceylan Cömert and
• Mehmet Odabaşı

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1189–1196, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.96

• physiological functions. They can effectively transport therapeutic agents to targeted cells or specific intracellular regions through passive targeting or ligand-based strategies [9][10][11]. The use of certain polymers could potentially enable sustained drug levels for controlled release and extended

• the HeLa cancer cell line (CCL-2 ATCC). Cells were grown in full DMEM with stable glutamine, 4.5 g/L glucose (Life Technologies, Paisley, U.K.), 10% FBS (Life Technologies, Paisley, U.K.), 100 U/mL penicillin, and 0.1 mg/mL streptomycin (Millipore-Sigma, Burlington, MA, United States) at 37 °C in a

• ). Cytotoxicity test Cell viability was assessed using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT). The method is based on the ability of NADPH-dependent cellular oxidoreductase in living, metabolically active cells to reduce MTT to water-insoluble crystals of formazan. Cells were seeded

AI-assisted models to predict chemotherapy drugs modified with C₆₀ fullerene derivatives

• Jonathan-Siu-Loong Robles-Hernández,
• Dora Iliana Medina,
• Katerin Aguirre-Hurtado,
• Marlene Bosquez,
• Roberto Salcedo and
• Alan Miralrio

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1170–1188, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.95

• ][17]. This G-protein is targeted because studies show a possible positive effect on inhibiting the metastasis of cervical cancer cells [18]. However, more clinical and preclinical studies on CXCR7 and its co-player CXCR4 are required since alterations have been detected in diseases such as cancer

Quantum-to-classical modeling of monolayer Ge₂Se₂ and its application in photovoltaic devices

• Anup Shrivastava,
• Shivani Saini,
• Dolly Kumari,
• Sanjai Singh and
• Jost Adam

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1153–1169, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.94

• 2004, the unique properties of two-dimensional materials have sparked intense research interest regarding their use as alternative materials in various photonic applications. Transition metal dichalcogenide monolayers have been proposed as transport layers in photovoltaic cells, but the promising

• optoelectronic devices, including next-generation solar cells. The hybrid quantum-to-macroscopic methodology presented here applies to broader classes of 2D and 3D materials and structures, showing a path to the computational design of future photovoltaic materials. Keywords: 2D materials; density functional

• theory; hole transport layer; optical properties; solar cells; Introduction Reducing fossil fuels and their harmful environmental impact requires improvements in green, sustainable energy sources. Among the various sources of green energy generation, solar energy has been identified as the most

Introducing third-generation periodic table descriptors for nano-qRASTR modeling of zebrafish toxicity of metal oxide nanoparticles

• Supratik Kar and
• Siyun Yang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1142–1152, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.93

• strong antibacterial, antifungal, antidiabetic, antioxidant, anticancer, and photocatalytic activities [7][8][9]. Besides the medical field, they are also commonly used in commercial products such as fuel cells and plastics, and environmental applications such as analysis, sensing, remediation, and

• , affecting not only individual cells but also developmental processes. The implications for zebrafish embryos include potential deformities, impaired development, and mortality. Employing zebrafish as a biological model facilitates the evaluation of toxicity, offering an integrative perspective on the

Recent updates in applications of nanomedicine for the treatment of hepatic fibrosis

• Damai Ria Setyawati,
• Fransiska Christydira Sekaringtyas,
• Riyona Desvy Pratiwi,
• A’liyatur Rosyidah,
• Rohimmahtunnissa Azhar,
• Nunik Gustini,
• Gita Syahputra,
• Idah Rosidah,
• Etik Mardliyati,
• Tarwadi and
• Sjaikhurrizal El Muttaqien

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1105–1116, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.89

• accumulation selectively through specific binding to receptors overexpressed by cancer cells (left panel of Figure 1), resulting in enhanced therapeutic activity and reduced systemic toxicity. Globally, there are around 15 approved cancer drug nanoformulations for clinical use, and 80 candidates for novel

• to the trans-differentiation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) into collagen-producing myofibroblasts, resulting in the progressive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) protein [12]. The condition may be caused by various etiologies, including viral hepatitis infection, alcohol abuse, and

• interactions The accumulation of any type of NPs in the liver is generally accomplished because of the central role of the liver itself as a main metabolic and excretory organ in the body. The presence of fenestrations in the layers of liver sinusoidal endothelial cells (LSECs) and the absence of the

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

• discussed, including drug delivery and environmental sensing applications for humidity, heavy metals, and hydrogen peroxide. Moreover, biomedical sensing applications of alginate-based nanoparticles regarding various analytes such as glucose, cancer cells, pharmaceutical drugs, and human motion will also be

• example, it is possible to deliver medications to cancer cells with little side effects and minimum damage to healthy cells. As a result, DDSs can improve patient compliance and adherence to medications [39]. Furthermore, smart drug delivery can also increase the bioavailability of drugs, which refers to

• advantages of using biopolymeric nanoparticles Nanoparticle systems offer several advantages in drug delivery [41][47]. One of the major advantages of nanoparticle-based DDSs is that they can protect drugs and ensure the delivery of drugs to targeted cells or tissue [48]. By encapsulating drugs within

Interface properties of nanostructured carbon-coated biological implants: an overview

• Mattia Bartoli,
• Francesca Cardano,
• Erik Piatti,
• Stefania Lettieri,
• Andrea Fin and
• Alberto Tagliaferro

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1041–1053, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.85

• environments represented by implant–tissue interfaces [18] through the tuning of different parameters (i.e., surface roughness and potential as well as hydrophobicity). Cells and biomolecules can selectively adhere to or be repelled from artificial implanted surfaces, triggering several metabolic pathways of

• pro-inflammatory to anti-inflammatory phenotypes. The final step in the immune system response involves the formation of foreign-body giant cells on the implant surface. Increased cytokine levels trigger the release of pro-fibrogenic factors and recruiting fibroblasts. Fibroblasts induce the

• NDs by CVD at 400 °C and observed good proliferation of osteogenic cells on a bone implant, even better than on a commonly used surface. They suggested that the osteoblast proliferation was mainly due to the surface morphology and the good match between cells and surface potentials. Carbon-based

Entry of nanoparticles into cells and tissues: status and challenges

• Kirsten Sandvig,
• Tore Geir Iversen and
• Tore Skotland

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1017–1029, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.83

• , University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway 10.3762/bjnano.15.83 Abstract In this article we discuss how nanoparticles (NPs) of different compositions may interact with and be internalized by cells, and the consequences of that for cellular functions. A large number of NPs are made with the intention to improve

• ) are important tools to diagnose and treat diseases, and have proven useful in basic mechanistic studies of cells and animals. Thus, knowledge about cellular uptake, intracellular transport, and metabolism of NPs in cells, as well as their biodistribution, degradation, and excretion following

• of new types of NPs, there is a knowledge gap when it comes to our understanding of the interaction of NPs with both cells and tissues. However, it is well known that NP properties, such as surface charge, size, and the material they are composed of can affect cellular uptake, biodistribution, and