Numerical study on all-optical modulation characteristics of quantum cascade lasers

• Biao Wei,
• Haijun Zhou,
• Guangxiang Li and
• Bin Tang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 1011–1019, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.88

• , and the modulation frequency can reach 60 GHz [13]. Moreover, all-optical modulation can directly alter the carrier distribution and is highly efficient. However, the mechanism of all-optical modulation is very complex. If we could effectively describe all-optical modulation of QCLs by numerical

Theoretical investigations of oxygen vacancy effects in nickel-doped zirconia from ab initio XANES spectroscopy at the oxygen K-edge

• Dick Hartmann Douma,
• Lodvert Tchibota Poaty,
• Alessio Lamperti,
• Stéphane Kenmoe,
• Abdulrafiu Tunde Raji,
• Alberto Debernardi and
• Bernard M’Passi-Mabiala

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 975–985, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.85

• fields, Ciprian et al. [4] showed that in Fe-doped ZrO2, the magnetism is produced by an oxygen-mediated super-exchange mechanism between Fe dopants, controlled by O vacancies. This finding also suggest the possibility that the microscopic mechanism underpinning this conclusion [4] may be common to a

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

• distinguished according to their basic defense mechanism. These are (A) surface topography, which disturbs and inhibits the initial adhesion based on morphological features, (B) material modification, where intrinsic chemical and physical properties result in microbe-repellence, and (C) additives and coatings

DNA aptamer selection and construction of an aptasensor based on graphene FETs for Zika virus NS1 protein detection

• Nathalie B. F. Almeida,
• Thiago A. S. L. Sousa,
• Viviane C. F. Santos,
• Camila M. S. Lacerda,
• Thais G. Silva,
• Rafaella F. Q. Grenfell,
• Flavio Plentz and
• Antero S. R. Andrade

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 873–881, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.78

• support this electron transfer from pyrene-modified molecules to graphene as the binding mechanism in π–π interactions between such compounds [35][36][37]. The association of pyrene-modified ZIKV60 aptamers with graphene may also be mediated by charge transfer that assists the interaction between the

Micro-structures, nanomechanical properties and flight performance of three beetles with different folding ratios

• Jiyu Sun,
• Pengpeng Li,
• Yongwei Yan,
• Fa Song,
• Nuo Xu and
• Zhijun Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 845–856, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.75

• , lighter, and harder to detect [12][13]. Insects can hover, fly in any direction, turn quickly in the air, and resist interference caused by the external environment, showing strong agility, maneuverability, and stability. This has raised great interest to study the mechanism of the high lift generated by

• hind wings of beetles are folded to reduce their size and to hide under the elytra [23][24]. The foldable wings of beetles have attracted the interest of aerospace engineering scientists as well as entomologists [25]. Knowledge about the folding mechanism of beetle hind wings can be used to design

• brevitarsis) were captured during wind tunnel tests and, based on the results, bioinspired wings and a linkage-mechanism flapping system were designed [26]. The flow behavior of live rhinoceros beetle flapping hind wings was studied by using a smoke wind tunnel and a high-speed camera [30]. Combining wind

Ultrafast signatures of magnetic inhomogeneity in Pd_1−xFe_x (x ≤ 0.08) epitaxial thin films

• Andrey V. Petrov,
• Sergey I. Nikitin,
• Lenar R. Tagirov,
• Amir I. Gumarov,
• Igor V. Yanilkin and
• Roman V. Yusupov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 836–844, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.74

• fractions by highly mobile s and p electrons (which occurs due to the s–d interaction [40]) should only increase the rate of photoinduced demagnetization on a subpicosecond scale. This mechanism was justified to explain the ultrafast (subpicosecond) transfer of the angular momentum in F/N heterostructures

• relaxation time τs ≈ 10−9 s [53] we get vs ≈ 1.8 × 102 m/s as an upper bound. An order-of-magnitude matching of the obtained vs value with the initial guess makes the 4d electron spin diffusion a plausible mechanism of the observed 10–25 ps demagnetization component in a mixed PM/FM state in the palladium

Hierachical epicuticular wax coverage on leaves of Deschampsia antarctica as a possible adaptation to severe environmental conditions

• Elena V. Gorb,
• Iryna A. Kozeretska and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 807–816, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.71

• water is removed and further re-freezing on the plant surface is averted. Based on the above data, we suppose that the microstructured wax covering both leaf surfaces in D. antarctica also could be involved in the anti-icing mechanism of this plant species thus contributing to its frost resistance. In

Gelatin nanoparticles with tunable mechanical properties: effect of crosslinking time and loading

• Agnes-Valencia Weiss,
• Daniel Schorr,
• Julia K. Metz,
• Metin Yildirim,
• Saeed Ahmad Khan and
• Marc Schneider

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 778–787, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.68

• the gelatin polymer chains. After release, the molecules might leave pores behind, which make the particles even more deformable. A further plausible mechanism is that the gelatin network can slide along the FITC-dextran molecules and therefore shows easier deformation under external pressure

Recent advances in nanoarchitectures of monocrystalline coordination polymers through confined assembly

• Lingling Xia,
• Qinyue Wang and
• Ming Hu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 763–777, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.67

• , ionic, or molecular building blocks is governed by thermodynamic and kinetic rules. Despite the fact that the main crystallization processes of coordination polymers are governed by similar rules, the detailed mechanism can be different owing to the complex topology, coordination bonds, and secondary

• /licenses/by/4.0). (b) Schematic illustration of the nucleation process of ZIF-8 with multiple transition phases. Figure 1b was reproduced from [96]. According to the PNAS license conditions only noncommercial use is allowed. This content is not subject to CC BY 4.0. (c) Mechanism for the growth of Cu-MOF-2

Hierarchical Bi₂WO₆/TiO₂-nanotube composites derived from natural cellulose for visible-light photocatalytic treatment of pollutants

• Zehao Lin,
• Zhan Yang and
• Jianguo Huang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 745–762, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.66

• and Bi2WO6 phases. Meanwhile, the relationships between structure and activity of the nanocomposite, reasons for the enhancement of the photocatalytic performances, and possible photocatalytic mechanism of Bi2WO6/TiO2-NT nanocomposites were explored and discussed. Experimental Chemicals Toluene

• the photocatalytic mechanism and performances of cellulose-derived Bi2WO6/TiO2-NT nanocomposites, pure TiO2 nanotubes (TiO2-NT), pure Bi2WO6 powder, Bi2WO6/TiO2, and Bi2WO6-TiO2 were prepared as contrast materials. The hierarchical TiO2 nanotubes derived from natural cellulose were regarded as the

• photocatalytic reaction under the same conditions, and the cyclic reactions were carried out for five times in total. The 70%−Bi2WO6/TiO2-NT nanocomposite was also employed to explore the photocatalytic mechanism as the representative of the Bi2WO6/TiO2-NT nanocomposites. Before the photocatalytic reduction of

Modeling a multiple-chain emeraldine gas sensor for NH₃ and NO₂ detection

• Hana Sustkova and
• Jan Voves

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 721–729, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.64

• it shows a resistance change when gas molecules are in the vicinity of the chain. Interesting for this application could be the detection of NH3 or NO2 [5]. Mechanism of Gas Sensing When gas molecules interact with the PANI chain, the resistance of the bulk material changes. For example, ammonia gas

Design and selection of peptides to block the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain by molecular docking

• Kendra Ramirez-Acosta,
• Ivan A. Rosales-Fuerte,
• J. Eduardo Perez-Sanchez,
• Alfredo Nuñez-Rivera,
• Josue Juarez and
• Ruben D. Cadena-Nava

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 699–711, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.62

• peptides to neutralize the infective mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 through the RBD is an interesting strategy. The binding ability of 104 peptides (University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Antimicrobial Peptide Database) to the RBD was assessed using molecular docking. Based on the molecular docking results

• , Y489, Q493, G496, T500, and N501 located on the active region of the SARS-CoV-2 RBD (Figure 1b, red rectangle) [6]. Therefore, the RBD has been proposed as one of therapeutic targets to block the infection mechanism of SARS-CoV-2. For instance, peptide analogues of the ACE2 receptor (I21 to S44) have

• present on the RBD, they play an important role in the infection mechanism of SARS-CoV-2. Also, these peptides showed a higher binding affinity for different RBD variants (Delta variant and a theoretical multimutation variant obtained from the combination of Alpha, Beta and Gamma SARS-CoV-2 variants

Nanoarchitectonics of the cathode to improve the reversibility of Li–O₂ batteries

• Hien Thi Thu Pham,
• Jonghyeok Yun,
• So Yeun Kim,
• Sang A Han,
• Jung Ho Kim,
• Jong-Won Lee and
• Min-Sik Park

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 689–698, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.61

• distinctive formation mechanisms of the parental ZIF-8 and ZIF-67 particles. Under the same synthesis conditions, the particle size of ZIF-8 is always smaller than that of ZIF-67. This is because the formation of ZIF-67 is proceeded by a fast one-step growth mechanism while ZIF-8 is formed by a slower two

• -step growth mechanism (i.e., nucleation and growth) [39]. The different formation mechanisms are mainly responsible for determining the particle sizes of ZIF-8 and ZIF-67. After carbonization and chemical etching processes, we obtained a series of ZnxCoy–C/CNT composites, as shown in Figure 1e–1g, in

Tunable high-quality-factor absorption in a graphene monolayer based on quasi-bound states in the continuum

• Jun Wu,
• Yasong Sun,
• Feng Wu,
• Biyuan Wu and
• Xiaohu Wu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 675–681, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.59

• -factor is defined by Q = λ/Δλ, where λ is the resonant wavelength of the absorption peak and Δλ denotes the full width at half maximum of the peak. To examine the physical mechanism of this phenomenon, we illustrate the distributions of the electromagnetic field at the resonant wavelength in Figure 3

Reliable fabrication of transparent conducting films by cascade centrifugation and Langmuir–Blodgett deposition of electrochemically exfoliated graphene

• Teodora Vićentić,
• Stevan Andrić,
• Vladimir Rajić and
• Marko Spasenović

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 666–674, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.58

• the range of 1–10 layers, in a range of different liquids, at a wide range of concentrations [13][14]. The mechanism of ultrasonic exfoliation involves ultrasonic waves in liquid media creating bubbles or voids in the liquid, which generate shear forces or cavitation bubbles upon collapsing, which

A superconducting adiabatic neuron in a quantum regime

• Marina V. Bastrakova,
• Dmitrii S. Pashin,
• Dmitriy A. Rybin,
• Andrey E. Schegolev,
• Nikolay V. Klenov,
• Igor I. Soloviev,
• Anastasiya A. Gorchavkina and
• Arkady M. Satanin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 653–665, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.57

• ns for l = 2.5 (see Figure 8). Influence of dissipation effects on the quantum neuron dynamics In the classical regime, the dissipation mechanism in the neuron has been considered using the Stewart–McCumber model [49]. To take into account the dissipation in a quantum system, we “place” it in a

Antibacterial activity of a berberine nanoformulation

• Hue Thi Nguyen,
• Tuyet Nhung Pham,
• Anh-Tuan Le,
• Nguyen Thanh Thuy,
• Tran Quang Huy and
• Thuy Thi Thu Nguyen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 641–652, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.56

• -sectional TEM images of MRSA cells (c) without and (d) after treatment with BBR NPs; (e) proposed mechanism of BBR NPs against MRSA cells. Experimental design for testing the inhibitory concentrations of BBR NPs and BBR against bacterial pathogens. Diameter of the inhibitory zone against MRSA of pure BBR

Fabrication and testing of polymer microneedles for transdermal drug delivery

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

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 629–640, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.55

• of bending, buckling, and tip blunting were then examined using compression tests and also theoretically. MN array insertion performance was studied in vitro on porcine back skin using both a prototype custom-made applicator and a commercial device. An adjustable skin stretcher mechanism was designed

• , including dynamic impact insertion using a commercial applicator and insertion using an in-house designed and manufactured spring-loaded prototype applicator. A custom skin stretching mechanism was built to mimic skin in vivo conditions in a controlled manner. MN arrays were applied on the full-thickness

• to remove the fat layer to the thickness of 3 ± 0.1 mm [31], and thawed before insertion testing on a 3D printed stretching mechanism to mimic skin in vivo conditions (Figure 2a). The MN arrays were initially oxygen plasma cleaned for 1 minute before dip coating with a concentrated aqueous solution

Comparative molecular dynamics simulations of thermal conductivities of aqueous and hydrocarbon nanofluids

• Adil Loya,
• Antash Najib,
• Fahad Aziz,
• Asif Khan,
• Guogang Ren and
• Kun Luo

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 620–628, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.54

• layer at the liquid–particle interface) is another significant mechanism for heat transfer enhancement [18][19][20]. Furthermore, a number of researchers have shown that agglomeration (or clustering) of nanoparticles is another key factor that affects the thermal conductivity of nanofluids [21][22][23

Revealing local structural properties of an atomically thin MoSe₂ surface using optical microscopy

• Lin Pan,
• Peng Miao,
• Anke Horneber,
• Alfred J. Meixner,
• Pierre-Michel Adam and
• Dai Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 572–581, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.49

• single-molecule detection level [18][19]. The Raman enhancement originates from an electromagnetic mechanism, provided by the excitation of surface plasmons, and a chemical mechanism which is related to the modification of Raman polarizability of molecules [20]. It has been reported that 2D materials

• , including graphene and 2D-TMDC materials, are unique platforms for SERS investigations based on the chemical mechanism [21]. Recently, enhanced Raman signals of rhodamine 6G (R6G) molecules on an oxygen plasma-treated MoS2 flake were reported, because the symmetry of the R6G molecule can be modified through

•  3b), while the photoluminescence intensity of CuPc on bilayer MoSe2 excited by radial polarization is only 1.49 times higher compared to that with azimuthal polarization. Based on the above experimental results, the Raman enhancement mechanism at the interface between CuPc molecules and the 2H MoSe2

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

• study may provide a new approach to investigate the migration mechanism of PCa cells in addition to cytoskeleton-mediated migration of PCa cells, which can be useful for cancer therapeutic drug screening and development. Experimental Cell culture PZ-HPV-7 normal human prostate epithelial cells and PC-3

Detection and imaging of Hg(II) in vivo using glutathione-functionalized gold nanoparticles

• Gufeng Li,
• Shaoqing Li,
• Rui Wang,
• Min Yang,
• Lizhu Zhang,
• Yanli Zhang,
• Wenrong Yang and
• Hongbin Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 549–559, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.46

• within 20 h, which indicates a sustained release of RGCOOH from the Rh6G2-loaded GNPs-GSH. Based on the experimental results, the release mechanism of GNPs-GSH-Rh6G2 by Hg2+ is illustrated in Figure 8a. Rh6G2, when conjugated with GNPs-GSH, does not exhibit fluorescence due to the closed spirolactam ring

• presence of Hg2+ within 35 h at room temperature in HEPES/CH3OH buffer (1:1 (v/v), 50 mM, pH 7). (a) Schematic illustration of the release mechanism of GNPs-GSH-Rh6G2 in the presence of Hg2+; (b) release of RGCOOH in cells through Hg2+. Comparison of GNPs-GSH-Rh6G2 with other strategies for Hg2+ detection

Stimuli-responsive polypeptide nanogels for trypsin inhibition

• Petr Šálek,
• Jana Dvořáková,
• Sviatoslav Hladysh,
• Diana Oleshchuk,
• Ewa Pavlova,
• Jan Kučka and
• Vladimír Proks

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 538–548, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.45

• inhibitor Kazal type 1 (SPINK1) to inhibit trypsinogen autoactivation and proteolytic activity of trypsin. The loss in SPINK1 secretion and function increases the risk of pancreatitis development [4]. As a defense mechanism against serine proteases and other inflammatory mediators, organisms secrete many

• enzymatic activity of trypsin. The observed properties of this delivery system will be further studied to better understand the mechanism of inhibition action. This fully biocompatible nanogel system might be a potential candidate for the development of new systems inhibiting the inflammatory mediator

Design and characterization of polymeric microneedles containing extracts of Brazilian green propolis

• Camila Felix Vecchi,
• Rafaela Said dos Santos,
• Jéssica Bassi da Silva and
• Marcos Luciano Bruschi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 503–516, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.42

• permeation mechanism [6][9][10]. Nanocarriers can be used together with polymeric MNs in a synergistic therapy. The nanocarriers can immediately come into contact with the stratum corneum with the help of polymeric MNs, enhancing the transdermal drug delivery of the drugs. Furthermore, these polymeric MNs

Ethosomal (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate as a novel approach to enhance antioxidant, anti-collagenase and anti-elastase effects

• Çiğdem Yücel,
• Gökçe Şeker Karatoprak,
• Sena Yalçıntaş and
• Tuğba Eren Böncü

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 491–502, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.41

• synergistic effect of phospholipids and ethanol enables the ETHs and drug molecules to reach the deeper layers of the skin [19][22][23]. The skin penetration mechanism of drug-loaded ETHs is explained by both the ETH effect and the ethanol effect. While ethanol increases drug penetration by increasing the