Ultraviolet patterns of flowers revealed in polymer replica – caused by surface architecture

• Anna J. Schulte,
• Matthias Mail,
• Lisa A. Hahn and
• Wilhelm Barthlott

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 459–466, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.45

• integrating sphere on the opposite side of the opening where the light source was situated. The polymer replicas were colored black using black dye and a thin layer of carbon black was embedded at the backside of the replicas. Both steps were undertaken to avoid reflection at the backside of the replicas and

Electromagnetic analysis of the lasing thresholds of hybrid plasmon modes of a silver tube nanolaser with active core and active shell

• Denys M. Natarov,
• Trevor M. Benson and
• Alexander I. Nosich

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 294–304, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.28

• of ways. After initial theorizing in the mid-2000s, this has led to the experimental demonstration of the smallest plasmonic laser in a random solution of colloidal gold nanospheres enveloped with dye-doped silica shells [3]. Today, plasmonic nanolasers attract great attention in research. A number

• electromagnetic waves non-attenuating in time, one must equip it with an active zone filled with a material possessing optical gain. Such material can be a semiconductor, a dye-doped polymer, or a material doped with ions of erbium or some other rare-earth elements. All of them are able, under pumping, to

New micro/mesoporous nanocomposite material from low-cost sources for the efficient removal of aromatic and pathogenic pollutants from water

• Emmanuel I. Unuabonah,
• Robert Nöske,
• Jens Weber,
• Christina Günter and
• Andreas Taubert

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 119–131, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.11

• +, Ni2+ [1], and methylene blue [4] from an aqueous solution. However, this material fails when attempting to remove anionic pollutants such as 4-nitrophenol (with a pKa of 7.2 [45]), methyl orange dye, or phosphate. The data demonstrate that the 2Z-HYCA nanocomposite is able to overcome the limitations

Zn/F-doped tin oxide nanoparticles synthesized by laser pyrolysis: structural and optical properties

• Florian Dumitrache,
• Iuliana P. Morjan,
• Elena Dutu,
• Ion Morjan,
• Claudiu Teodor Fleaca,
• Monica Scarisoreanu,
• Alina Ilie,
• Marius Dumitru,
• Cristian Mihailescu,
• Adriana Smarandache and
• Gabriel Prodan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2019, 10, 9–21, doi:10.3762/bjnano.10.2

• ], photocatalysts for rhodamine 6G dye degradation in aqueous solution [27] and were proposed as a thermal UV sensor for high-radiation environments [4]. Moreover, the ZTO materials were also employed as volatile organic compound (VOC) (such as methanol, ethanol or acetone vapors) sensors [28], as an anode for Li

• -ion microbatteries [29], as photocatalysts for brilliant green dye degradation in solution under solar light [30] and even as a component for supercapacitors [31]. The in situ synthesis of SnO2-based nanoparticles co-doped with F and Zn is demonstrated in this work. For this purpose we use the

Electrolyte tuning in dye-sensitized solar cells with N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) iron(II) sensitizers

• Mariia Karpacheva,
• Catherine E. Housecroft and
• Edwin C. Constable

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 3069–3078, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.285

• Mariia Karpacheva Catherine E. Housecroft Edwin C. Constable Department of Chemistry, University Basel, BPR 1096, Mattenstrasse 24a, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland 10.3762/bjnano.9.285 Abstract We demonstrate that the performances of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) sensitized with a previously

• reported N-heterocyclic carbene iron(II) dye in the presence of chenodeoxycholic acid co-adsorbant, can be considerably improved by altering the composition of the electrolyte while retaining an I−/I3− redox shuttle. Critical factors are the solvent, presence of ionic liquid, and the use of the additives 1

• the addition of TBP improves VOC, it causes significant decreases in JSC. The best performing DSCs with the NHC-iron(II) dye employ an I−/I3−-based electrolyte with MPN as solvent, DMPII ionic liquid (0.6 M) with no or 0.01 M MBI; values of JSC = 2.31 to 2.78 mA cm−2, VOC = 292 to 374 mV have been

Oriented zinc oxide nanorods: A novel saturable absorber for lasers in the near-infrared

• Pavel Loiko,
• Tanujjal Bora,
• Josep Maria Serres,
• Haohai Yu,
• Magdalena Aguiló,
• Francesc Díaz,
• Uwe Griebner,
• Valentin Petrov,
• Xavier Mateos and
• Joydeep Dutta

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2730–2740, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.255

• due to the high sensitivity of ZnO to chemical environments [6], for light-emitting diodes due to the compatibility with the GaN technology and random lasing [7] (in the blue, around 0.390 µm), and in dye-sensitized solar cells [8]. The absorption and emission properties of the ZnO nanomaterials are

Low cost tips for tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy fabricated by two-step electrochemical etching of 125 µm diameter gold wires

• Antonino Foti,
• Francesco Barreca,
• Enza Fazio,
• Cristiano D’Andrea,
• Paolo Matteini,
• Onofrio Maria Maragò and
• Pietro Giuseppe Gucciardi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2718–2729, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.254

• on the shaft (red line). Typical laser powers are 1.0–2.5 mW and integration times are 0.5–1.0 s per pixel. TERS spectra of dyes, pigments and biomolecules The tips have been applied to evaluate the spectra of analyze standard dye molecules such as rhodamine 6G (R6G), crystal violet (CV), methylene

Size-selected Fe₃O₄–Au hybrid nanoparticles for improved magnetism-based theranostics

• Maria V. Efremova,
• Yulia A. Nalench,
• Eirini Myrovali,
• Anastasiia S. Garanina,
• Ivan S. Grebennikov,
• Polina K. Gifer,
• Maxim A. Abakumov,
• Marina Spasova,
• Makis Angelakeris,
• Alexander G. Savchenko,
• Michael Farle,
• Natalia L. Klyachko,
• Alexander G. Majouga and
• Ulf Wiedwald

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2684–2699, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.251

• /necrosis detection kit (abcam). Apopxin deep red dye stained phosphatidylserine on the membrane of apoptotic cells and nuclear green dye – the cells with loss of plasma membrane integrity (i.e., cells at late stage apoptosis or necrotic cells). After the hyperthermia treatment, the cells were washed twice

Polarization-dependent strong coupling between silver nanorods and photochromic molecules

• Gwénaëlle Lamri,
• Alessandro Veltri,
• Jean Aubard,
• Pierre-Michel Adam,
• Nordin Felidj and
• Anne-Laure Baudrion

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2657–2664, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.247

• equal to 132 and 235 nm, leading to linewidths of 655 and 697 meV. This difference in the hybrid mode linewidths has already been observed for a gold nanogroove arrays coated with a J-aggregate dye film [25]. In this work, they observed different damping rates for the hybrid modes attributed to the

Enhanced antineoplastic/therapeutic efficacy using 5-fluorouracil-loaded calcium phosphate nanoparticles

• Shanid Mohiyuddin,
• Saba Naqvi and
• Gopinath Packirisamy

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2499–2515, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.233

• this assay, drug-induced apoptosis was confirmed by CaP@5-FU NP treatment. Hoechst 33342 and rhodamine B Apoptotic cells show specific characteristic features such as morphological changes, nuclear fragmentation, and cytoplasmic constriction [41]. The nucleic acid specific dye Hoechst 33342 and the

• cytoplasmic dye rhodamine B were used to stain the cells treated with an IC50 concentration of CaP@5-FU NPs incubated for different time periods. The morphological changes can be effectively tracked by microscopic examination after the staining procedure. Hoechst 33342 is a fluorescent DNA intercalating dye

• 33342 dye signal denotes the nuclear fragmentation leaving the blue-dyed nucleus, whereas reduction in the rhodamine B dye signal infers cytoplasmic constriction. In this assay, both the untreated A549 and HCT-15 cells display bright red and blue fluorescence, indicating healthy, intact cells (Figure 5B

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

• investigated for their potential as adsorbent, catalyst, and membrane. BC-based adsorbent, catalyst, and aerogel membrane were applied for the removal of copper and lead [47], dye removal [44], and membrane distillation [48]. Ultimately, the current goal in BC production is linked to resolving the challenging

• –OH of CNC. This modified nanocellulose adsorbent was used for the removal of cationic dyes from aqueous solution by forming a bidentate arrangement between the dye and the adsorbent’s carboxy groups. Meanwhile, Anirudhan et al. [92][93] modified a nanocellulose/nanobentonite composite adsorbent with

Block copolymers for designing nanostructured porous coatings

• Roberto Nisticò

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2332–2344, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.218

• )molecules were selected as target probes: methylene blue (a dye of 0.5 nm in width) and the protein RNAse (3.8 nm), respectively. The results evidenced that the diffusion of the protein is more restricted as compared to the dye, suggesting a steric selectivity of the depth-filtering system analyzed. In

Nanoscale characterization of the temporary adhesive of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus

• Ana S. Viana and
• Romana Santos

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2277–2286, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.212

• proteinaceous fibres [12] that have been identified as amyloid fibres using the fluorochrome dye thioflavine-T, in addition to Raman spectroscopy and AFM [1]. AFM revealed a series of sawtooth mechanical responses reflecting the repetitive breaking of sacrificial bonds within an intermolecular β-sheet as

• footprints samples were imaged in each condition and representative data were selected. Histochemical staining Binding of the benzothiazole dye thioflavin-T (Sigma-Aldrich) to amyloid structures was detected by direct staining of the adhesive footprints collected on glass slides. Footprints were incubated

• with 10 μM aqueous thioflavin-T for 5 min, washed with milli-Q water, and observed immediately with an Olympus BX60 fluorescent microscope, equipped with a 10× 0.4 NA lens and a Hamamatsu Orca R2 monochrome camera. The emission characteristics of thioflavin-T dye binding to amyloid was previously

The role of adatoms in chloride-activated colloidal silver nanoparticles for surface-enhanced Raman scattering enhancement

• Nicolae Leopold,
• Andrei Stefancu,
• Krisztian Herman,
• István Sz. Tódor,
• Stefania D. Iancu,
• Vlad Moisoiu and
• Loredana F. Leopold

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2236–2247, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.208

• chemisorbed onto the AgNP surface, thus generating the SERS-active sites. Silver halides are a class of light-sensitive materials that have been extensively used for photographic films. Gao et al. [4] were the first to report SERS spectra acquired from a dye adsorbed onto silver nanoparticles formed at the

• AgNP surface by mediating the chemisorption of Cl− ions. Hence, cationic dye molecules are electronically coupled to the silver surface at these SERS-active sites, leading to high-intensity SERS spectra. The appearance of the SERS effect only after the electronic coupling of the analyte to the Ag

• + cations for the generation of SERS-active sites on the nanoparticle surface [28][29]. When using the cit-AgNPs as a SERS substrate, no SERS spectra of the dye molecules could be obtained since the Lee–Meisel colloid does not contain any chloride ions that could form SERS-active sites. Small amounts of Cl

Lead-free hybrid perovskites for photovoltaics

• Oleksandr Stroyuk

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2209–2235, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.207

• have been employed as nanometer-thin-film light harvesters, such as Cu(Ga)InS(Se)2 or CdTe, showing a light conversion efficiency of up to 21% [1][2]. Progress in dye-sensitized solar cells (reaching ≈12% efficiency [1][2]) has stimulated attempts in using metal chalcogenide nanocrystals (NCs) as

• distinguish the most promising venues and materials and to suggest outlines of further exploration [28][29][30][42][50][53][54][57][59][60][61][64][65]. Historically, the first HP cell was built basing on a “classic” design of the dye-sensitized solar cells with the HP layer acting as a sensitizer of a

• solar cell displaying PCEs of up to 0.55% [109]. The mixed CsSnI2.95F0.05 was successfully tested as an efficient HTL for dye-sensitized solar cells operating with PCEs of up to ≈10% [138]. Other M2+-based hybrid perovskites Germanium(II) forms a series of perovskites isostructural to MAPI with a

Dumbbell gold nanoparticle dimer antennas with advanced optical properties

• Janning F. Herrmann and
• Christiane Höppener

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2188–2197, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.205

• typical in regard of the obtained signal strength and the noise floor. Clearly, for all measurements individual dye molecules are identified. However, the signal contrast strongly deviates for each measurement. Apparently, the best signal-to-noise level is achieved with the CB[8]-mediated dimer antenna

• fluorescence enhancement factor can be also accomplished by measuring the fluorescence emission of single dye molecule as a function of the antenna–sample separation. The corresponding approach curves account for two mechanisms occurring when the antenna is coupled to the dye molecule: 1.) the absorption

• decreasing distance, the influence of the electromagnetic field enhancement is counterbalanced by non-radiative transitions to electronic states of the metallic interface and sequential dissipation of the excited state energy. Therefore, for small AuNP-dye distances the spontaneous emission starts to decline

Electrospun one-dimensional nanostructures: a new horizon for gas sensing materials

• Muhammad Imran,
• Nunzio Motta and
• Mahnaz Shafiei

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2128–2170, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.202

Spin-coated planar Sb₂S₃ hybrid solar cells approaching 5% efficiency

• Pascal Kaienburg,
• Benjamin Klingebiel and
• Thomas Kirchartz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2114–2124, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.200

• thin absorber (ETA) architecture, which is similar to that of dye-sensitized solar cells [21]. A thin absorber layer of around 10 nm [22] is deposited on a mesoporous TiO2 scaffold and the pores are subsequently filled with a hole transport material (HTM). Progress in terms of device efficiency can be

A scanning probe microscopy study of nanostructured TiO₂/poly(3-hexylthiophene) hybrid heterojunctions for photovoltaic applications

• Laurie Letertre,
• Roland Roche,
• Olivier Douhéret,
• Hailu G. Kassa,
• Denis Mariolle,
• Nicolas Chevalier,
• Łukasz Borowik,
• Philippe Dumas,
• Benjamin Grévin,
• Roberto Lazzaroni and
• Philippe Leclère

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2087–2096, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.197

• other hand. Hybrid PV devices include various technologies such as perovskite cells, dye sensitized solar cells (DSSC), with power efficiencies up to 13% [5] and hybrid bulk heterojunctions (HBHJ), which combine an organic matrix and inorganic semiconducting nanostructures such as quantum dots. Among

• can easily form nanostructures, such as nanoporous layers, nanowires or nanocolumns [5][11][12]. Because of its large band gap (3.2 eV [13]), light absorption is carried out by an organic or inorganic dye. The nanostructuration of the acceptor material is crucial for the cell performance [11], as it

• allows increasing the specific surface of the layer to enhance the amount of grafted dye, and thereby, the photon absorption yield. Nanostructuration is also likely to improve the conductivity of TiO2 [14]. Because of the influence of the nanostructuration of TiO2 on the optoelectronic properties of the

Nanoconjugates of a calixresorcinarene derivative with methoxy poly(ethylene glycol) fragments for drug encapsulation

• Alina M. Ermakova,
• Julia E. Morozova,
• Yana V. Shalaeva,
• Victor V. Syakaev,
• Aidar T. Gubaidullin,
• Alexandra D. Voloshina,
• Vladimir V. Zobov,
• Irek R. Nizameev,
• Olga B. Bazanova,
• Igor S. Antipin and
• Alexander I. Konovalov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2057–2070, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.195

• hydrophobic Orange OT in the presence of 3 as a result of dye encapsulation into the hydrophobic core of macrocyle micelles. In the case of the more hydrophilic QC, a moderate increase of its absorbance in the solution of 3 is observed. But the bathochromic shift of the QC absorption maximum in the solution

• fragments of macrocycle molecules as well as with the aromatic platform of the macrocycle. In vitro release of substrates from micelles of 3 The hydrophilic dye rhodamin B (RhB) was used as an optical probe for the investigation of the release from micelles of 3. The quenching of RhB emission in the

• presence of 3 and the absence of any change in the RhB emission in the presence of mPEG-550 show that a binding of the dye near the aromatic platform of the macrocycle occurred (Figure S13, Supporting Information File 1). The 3 + RhB micelles were prepared by using thin-film hydration; the excess of RhB

Metal-free catalysis based on nitrogen-doped carbon nanomaterials: a photoelectron spectroscopy point of view

• Mattia Scardamaglia and
• Carla Bittencourt

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 2015–2031, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.191

• splitting of water to molecular hydrogen via hydrogen and oxygen evolution reaction (HER and OER, respectively) are fundamental working mechanisms at the cathode of fuel cells, metal–air batteries and dye-sensitized solar cells [2]. However, the current working catalysts are based on expensive metals, such

• ]. In 2015, Zhang and co-workers synthesized a carbon foam co-doped with nitrogen and phosphorous, which was the first bifunctional electrocatalyst for both ORR and OER [49] for high-performance rechargeable zinc-air batteries. The same material was used by Xue et al. as a counter electrode in dye

Synthesis of a MnO₂/Fe₃O₄/diatomite nanocomposite as an efficient heterogeneous Fenton-like catalyst for methylene blue degradation

• Zishun Li,
• Xuekun Tang,
• Kun Liu,
• Jing Huang,
• Yueyang Xu,
• Qian Peng and
• Minlin Ao

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1940–1950, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.185

• methylene blue (MB) as the target pollutant, because MB is a typical organic dye with well-known toxicity and a threat to water environments [19]. The structural characterization and recyclability of the nanocomposite are also investigated. To the best of our knowledge, there are no reports about the

• /Fe3O4/diatomite with high surface area and sufficient mesoporous structure will provide adequate active sites in the consecutive adsorption and heterogeneous Fenton-like reaction for dye removal. Catalytic activity To demonstrate the catalytic activity of the as-synthesized catalysts toward PMS

Uniform cobalt nanoparticles embedded in hexagonal mesoporous nanoplates as a magnetically separable, recyclable adsorbent

• Can Zhao,
• Yuexiao Song,
• Tianyu Xiang,
• Wenxiu Qu,
• Shuo Lou,
• Xiaohong Yin and
• Feng Xin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1770–1781, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.168

• morphology and specific surface area of the as-prepared NPLs can be tailored by adjusting the initial dopamine concentration and carbonization temperature. The mesoporous NPLs exhibit excellent sorption of rhodamine B (RhB) dye and fast magnetic separation in aqueous solution. Over 95% of RhB can be adsorbed

• ) has proved to be one of the most effective strategies for enhancing their adsorption performance in aqueous solutions [10][11][12]. Torad et al. [13] reported the high adsorption capacity of porous carbon particles with magnetic Co nanoparticles towards methylene blue (MB) dye. They attributed this to

• the formation of stable bi-dentate complexes between the Co particles and MB dye. The Co nanoparticles in the carbon-based nanocomposites not only enhance the adsorption ability, but also help to separate the adsorbent owing to their strong magnetic response. Generally, Co nanoparticles can be

Preparation of micro/nanopatterned gelatins crosslinked with genipin for biocompatible dental implants

• Reika Makita,
• Tsukasa Akasaka,
• Seiichi Tamagawa,
• Yasuhiro Yoshida,
• Saori Miyata,
• Hirofumi Miyaji and
• Tsutomu Sugaya

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1735–1754, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.165

Sulfur-, nitrogen- and platinum-doped titania thin films with high catalytic efficiency under visible-light illumination

• Boštjan Žener,
• Lev Matoh,
• Giorgio Carraro,
• Bojan Miljević and
• Romana Cerc Korošec

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2018, 9, 1629–1640, doi:10.3762/bjnano.9.155

• are stable under normal conditions. They have been shown to damage ecosystems when expelled into water systems, and pose very serious health risks to humans, because they can form aromatic amines, which are potentially carcinogenic substances. Furthermore, when the excess dye is expelled into

• degradation rate of PB, an organic dye. The concentration of PB at different illumination times was determined by measuring its UV–vis absorbance spectra and calculating using the Beer–Lambert law (Equation 2). In this equation, A is the absorbance of the PB solution at 527 nm excitation at different

• nitrate (NH4NO3) from Zorka Šabac; hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC, Mw = 100.000 g/mol) from Sigma-Aldrich; plasmocorinth B (PB, dye content ≈60%) from Sigma-Aldrich; thiourea (pro analysis) from Kemika and urea (98%) from Acros Organics. Synthesis Titanium dioxide was prepared by a particulate sol–gel