Fabrication of gold-coated PDMS surfaces with arrayed triangular micro/nanopyramids for use as SERS substrates

• Jingran Zhang,
• Yongda Yan,
• Peng Miao and
• Jianxiong Cai

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2271–2282, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.227

• nanoparticles on a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) template, and malachite green on fish skin [27] was successfully detected. A flexible and transparent substrate consisting of silver nanoparticles on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) sheets was fabricated for in situ detection of R6G and thiram residues with a

• concentration of 10−4 mol on the skin of an apple and a cherry tomato, respectively [28]. The major limitations of these methods are in the complexity of the fabrication processes for obtaining the templates. Additionally, more complex micro/nanostructures are difficult to achieve using the existing methods

• this method were compared to a commercial substrate (Q-SERS). This method was verified to be a high-resolution, highly reproducible, and low cost approach to the fabrication of high-performance SERS substrates that could be used as sensors to detect pesticide residues on the skin of fruit or fish

High-stress study of bioinspired multifunctional PEDOT:PSS/nanoclay nanocomposites using AFM, SEM and numerical simulation

• Alfredo J. Diaz,
• Hanaul Noh,
• Tobias Meier and
• Santiago D. Solares

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2069–2082, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.207

• produce a skin layer [11], which is a heterogeneous surface layer that forms during the evaporation of the dispersion. Given the size difference of the nanoclays used, this layer is expected to have a more appreciable effect in MTM than in LAP. With regards to stiffness, the MTM nanocomposite showed an

• unexpected behavior given its platelet size. One would expect the larger platelet size to lead to a higher stiffness, but instead MTM showed lower stiffness compared to LAP. These incongruences can be explained in terms of the skin layer formation, which in MTM is more heterogeneous and less organized than

• in LAP (hence also more loosely packed), as a result of the larger particle size. Recall also that the cantilever tip interacts with the outermost volume of the coating, which is the heterogeneous skin. The average quality factor shows a different behavior compared to the average frequency. For the

Bi-layer sandwich film for antibacterial catheters

• Gerhard Franz,
• Florian Schamberger,
• Hamideh Heidari Zare,
• Sara Felicitas Bröskamp and
• Dieter Jocham

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1982–2001, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.199

• applications were possible. Therefore, the inorganic alternative silver was proposed again, but now as silver coating [7][15]. This deposit dissolves with a lower time constant, thereby reducing the toxic potential combined with longer lifetime. However, the catheters were coated only on their external skin

• the polymer is larger by orders of magnitude than that of the coating. Therefore, a special design has to be applied to avoid cracks and exfoliation (Figure 5). Our designs are called “zebra stripe pattern” and “leopard skin”. In both cases, only fractions of the total area are coated. Here, we

Optical techniques for cervical neoplasia detection

• Tatiana Novikova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1844–1862, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.186

• light that has been diffused deeply within tissue and keeps the contribution of the superficial layer at which epithelial cancer starts. The studies of spectra or images of OSC polarimetric measurements for the detection of colon cancerous polyps [94], skin cancer [95], and cervical precancerous lesions

Low uptake of silica nanoparticles in Caco-2 intestinal epithelial barriers

• Dong Ye,
• Mattia Bramini,
• Delyan R. Hristov,
• Sha Wan,
• Anna Salvati,
• Christoffer Åberg and
• Kenneth A. Dawson

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1396–1406, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.141

• Deusinglaan 1, 9713 AV Groningen, The Netherlands 10.3762/bjnano.8.141 Abstract Cellular barriers, such as the skin, the lung epithelium or the intestinal epithelium, constitute one of the first obstacles facing nanomedicines or other nanoparticles entering organisms. It is thus important to assess the

• exposure routes, cellular barriers, such as the skin, the lung epithelium, the intestinal epithelium or the endothelium (including the blood-brain barrier), constitute one of the first sites of interactions of nanoparticles, whether intended as nanomedicines or not, with organisms. Thus in addressing the

Nano-engineered skin mesenchymal stem cells: potential vehicles for tumour-targeted quantum-dot delivery

• Liga Saulite,
• Dominyka Dapkute,
• Karlis Pleiko,
• Ineta Popena,
• Simona Steponkiene,
• Ricardas Rotomskis and
• Una Riekstina

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 1218–1230, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.123

• quantum dots QD655 were studied in human skin MSCs. The effect of QD on MSCs was examined using a cell viability assay, Ki67 expression analysis, and tri-lineage differentiation assay. The optimal conditions for QD uptake in MSCs were determined using flow cytometry. The QD uptake route in MSCs was

• in skin MSCs was clathrin-mediated endocytosis. QDs were mainly localized in early endosomes after 6 h as well as in late endosomes and lysosomes after 24 h. QDs in concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 64 nM had no effect on cell viability and proliferation. The expression of MSC markers, CD73 and CD90

• drug carriers [3]. Recent studies have shown that nano-engineered mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) could be used as tumour-targeted therapeutic carriers, reflecting their tumour-homing capabilities [4][5][6]. MSCs are present in many tissues of the human body, including bone marrow, adipose tissues, skin

Needs and challenges for assessing the environmental impacts of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs)

• Michelle Romero-Franco,
• Hilary A. Godwin,
• Muhammad Bilal and
• Yoram Cohen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 989–1014, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.101

• inhalation of some ENMs may cause additional adverse outcomes, such as damage to the respiratory tract, inflammation, and activation of signaling pathways. For additional routes of exposure, such as dermal absorption, existing evidence suggests that certain ENMs may penetrate the skin (e.g., cobalt

• nanoparticles in human volunteers and quantum dots ‘QDs’ in rat skin) and cause irritation (e.g., nano ZnO in zebrafish models) [10]. Oral exposure to ENMs can result in subsequent absorption in the GI tract and organ damage (e.g., nano Cu in mice via oral gavage damaged liver, spleen and kidneys, and nano ZnO

Near-field surface plasmon field enhancement induced by rippled surfaces

• Mario D’Acunto,
• Francesco Fuso,
• Ruggero Micheletto,
• Makoto Naruse,
• Francesco Tantussi and
• Maria Allegrini

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 956–967, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.97

• empirical parameters [43][44]. The resolution (N = 2048) is such that the minimum size is nearly 1 nm and the groove–groove distance (an equivalent of periodicity for more regular surfaces) is of approximately 100–200 nm (the autocorrelation length a in Equation 9) and height of 10–30 nm. The Au skin depth

Liquid permeation and chemical stability of anodic alumina membranes

• Dmitrii I. Petukhov,
• Dmitrii A. Buldakov,
• Alexey A. Tishkin,
• Alexey V. Lukashin and
• Andrei A. Eliseev

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 561–570, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.60

• ) merges into the microporous selective skin layer [5]. All these issues make AAO extremely attractive for baromembrane processes, including micro- and ultrafiltration, pervaporation, emulsification and membrane catalysis. AAO membranes are abundantly used as solid porous supports for asymmetric gas

When the going gets rough – studying the effect of surface roughness on the adhesive abilities of tree frogs

• Niall Crawford,
• Thomas Endlein,
• Jonathan T. Pham,
• Mathis Riehle and
• W. Jon P. Barnes

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 2116–2131, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.201

• twigs [50]. We are thus building up a good understanding of both the underlying mechanisms and the ecology of tree frog adhesive mechanisms. But this study goes further: comparable to the drag reduction mechanisms of snake skin [51], the superhydrophobicity and self-cleaning mechanisms of lotus leaves

• ). Before experimentation, the frogs were rinsed in chlorine-free water to remove any dirt or loose dead skin, and carefully blotted dry to prevent the excess water from affecting the frogs’ performance. Rough surfaces Two different kinds of rough surfaces were used in this study, which displayed different

Graphene-enhanced plasmonic nanohole arrays for environmental sensing in aqueous samples

• Christa Genslein,
• Peter Hausler,
• Eva-Maria Kirchner,
• Rudolf Bierl,
• Antje J. Baeumner and
• Thomas Hirsch

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1564–1573, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.150

• readily absorbed through the skin. They can cause feminization of male infants, impact genital development and testes maturation. Metabolic products are also potential thyroid hormone disruptors [4][5][6]. Because of their carcinogenic and toxic characteristics determination of PAEs in environmental water

Ammonia gas sensors based on In₂O₃/PANI hetero-nanofibers operating at room temperature

• Qingxin Nie,
• Zengyuan Pang,
• Hangyi Lu,
• Yibing Cai and
• Qufu Wei

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1312–1321, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.122

• pollution. Ammonia (NH3), as a highly toxic gas, can be emitted by natural and industrial sources and threaten human health [2][3][4]. NH3 at concentrations of 50 ppm may irritate the human respiratory system, skin and eyes [4]. Higher concentrations of NH3 will cause blindness, seizures, lung disease and

A terahertz-vibration to terahertz-radiation converter based on gold nanoobjects: a feasibility study

• Kamil Moldosanov and
• Andrei Postnikov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 983–989, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.90

• expected to be shifted from the peak of the phonon density of modes, i.e., around 4.2 THz (see below). The sizes of GNBs and GNRs have to be much smaller than the skin depth in gold at 2.45 GHz, amounting to approx. 1.5 μm. This justifies considering the Fermi electrons in the following as free ones

Tight junction between endothelial cells: the interaction between nanoparticles and blood vessels

• Yue Zhang and
• Wan-Xi Yang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 675–684, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.60

• several pathways (oral administration [11], skin exposure [12], breathing [13], intravenous injection [14]). No matter which way, the NPs will finally reunite in the blood vascular system. Blood vessels function as a transportation pipe for blood, which carries nutrients and other necessary substances

• into photo-damaged skin through follicles and intercellular spaces [28]. Also, zinc oxide, which is widely used in sunscreen, penetrates into the stratum granulosum of the epidermis [29], which leads us to the assumption that once NPs penetrate through the epidermis, there is a huge possibility to get

• arteriovenous plexus under the epidermis of the skin. Since the circulatory system may be the main way of transporting the NPs, we shed light on the distribution of NPs in the circulatory system, and found several studies about NPs side effects on organs such as spleen, liver and kidney. AuNPs distributed

Nanotechnology in the real world: Redeveloping the nanomaterial consumer products inventory

• Marina E. Vance,
• Todd Kuiken,
• Eric P. Vejerano,
• Sean P. McGinnis,
• Michael F. Hochella Jr.,
• David Rejeski and
• Matthew S. Hull

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1769–1780, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.181

• consumer products in the CPI (528 products) contain nanomaterials suspended in a variety of fluids (e.g., water, skin lotion, oil, car lubricant). The second largest group in this category – with 307 products – comprises solid products with surface-bound nanoparticles (e.g., hair curling and flat irons

• 770 products from the CPI to determine their most likely route(s) of exposure (Figure 7). We identified the skin as the primary route of exposure for nanomaterials from the use of consumer products (58% of products evaluated). This is because many entries in the CPI consist of (1) solid products that

• contain nanomaterials on their surfaces and are meant to be touched or (2) liquid products containing nanomaterial suspensions which are meant to be applied on the skin or hair. Of the products evaluated, 25% present nanomaterials that can possibly be inhaled during normal use (e.g., sprays and hair

The Kirkendall effect and nanoscience: hollow nanospheres and nanotubes

• Abdel-Aziz El Mel,
• Ryusuke Nakamura and
• Carla Bittencourt

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1348–1361, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.139

• mechanism is the pioneering work of Yin et al. on the selenization of cobalt nanoparticles [7]. They have shown that the conversion reaction starts by the formation of a very thin cobalt selenide shell on the outer skin of the Co nanoparticle (Figure 3). As the reaction proceeds in time, the Co atoms tend

• , the oxidation process started with the formation of a thin layer of bismuth oxide on the outer skin of the bismuth nanoparticle (Figure 7a). An off-centered, single void was then formed at the bismuth/bismuth oxide core/shell interface. As the oxidation process proceeds in time, the void was found to

• on the outer skin of the metal nanowire resulting in the formation of a thin layer of metal oxide (Figure 9a). After the formation of a metal/metal oxide core/shell nanowire, the metal ions diffuse outward through the oxide layer until reaching the outer surface. Simultaneously, the oxygen adsorbed

Polymer blend lithography for metal films: large-area patterning with over 1 billion holes/inch²

• Cheng Huang,
• Alexander Förste,
• Stefan Walheim and
• Thomas Schimmel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1205–1211, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.123

• lithography method has been used to study the surface plasmonics of random nano-hole arrays in metal films [26][27]. Since the skin depth, and therefore the transmission of thin films, of Cu, Au and Ag is relatively high, we selected aluminum, which shows a high reflectivity in the range of 220 to 650 nm

Tattoo ink nanoparticles in skin tissue and fibroblasts

• Colin A. Grant,
• Peter C. Twigg,
• Richard Baker and
• Desmond J. Tobin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1183–1191, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.120

• Colin A. Grant Peter C. Twigg Richard Baker Desmond J. Tobin Advanced Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Informatics, University of Bradford, Bradford, BD7 1DP, United Kingdom Centre for Skin Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, BD7 1DP, United

• products. This study examines tattoo ink particles in two fundamental skin components at the nanometre level. We use atomic force microscopy and light microscopy to examine cryosections of tattooed skin, exploring the collagen fibril networks in the dermis that contain ink nanoparticles. Further, we

• culture fibroblasts in diluted tattoo ink to explore both the immediate impact of ink pigment on cell viability and also to observe the interaction between particles and the cells. Keywords: atomic force microscopy (AFM); dermis; nanoparticles; skin; tattoo ink; Introduction The act of tattooing has

Fulleropeptide esters as potential self-assembled antioxidants

• Mira S. Bjelaković,
• Tatjana J. Kop,
• Jelena Đorđević and
• Dragana R. Milić

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 1065–1071, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.107

• affinities. Water-soluble fullerene–alanine adducts were tested as cytoprotective agents showing high effectiveness for removing the reactive oxygen species, such as superoxide anions and hydroxyl radicals [19][20]. The study of the penetration of fulleropeptide nanoparticles through skin represents a major

Influence of gold, silver and gold–silver alloy nanoparticles on germ cell function and embryo development

• Ulrike Taylor,
• Daniela Tiedemann,
• Christoph Rehbock,
• Wilfried A. Kues,
• Stephan Barcikowski and
• Detlef Rath

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 651–664, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.66

• antimicrobial properties [20][21]. This variety in applications generates several potential exposure routes for gold and silver nanoparticles, including injection and inhalation particularly for biomedical applications, but also ingestion and skin contact for medical and consumer products. The uptake behaviour

• amount of particles translocated across the air–blood barrier [22]. The magnitude of particle transfere is inversely correlated to particle size [23]. In contrast, particle uptake following dermal exposure has so far not been observed as nanoparticles do not penetrate beyond the most superficial skin

Novel ZnO:Ag nanocomposites induce significant oxidative stress in human fibroblast malignant melanoma (Ht144) cells

• Syeda Arooj,
• Samina Nazir,
• Akhtar Nadhman,
• Nafees Ahmad,
• Bakhtiar Muhammad,
• Ishaq Ahmad,
• Kehkashan Mazhar and
• Rashda Abbasi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 570–582, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.59

• different ZnO and ZnO:Ag nanocomposites. (a) RBS analysis; atomic composition graph is showing the relative amounts of Zn, O and silver, (b) diffused reflectance spectra, (c) band gap energies of the different nanocomposites. Effect of ZnO and ZnO:Ag nanocomposites on the viability of HT144 (skin cancer

• . Comparison of the effect of ZnO and ZnO:Ag nanocomposites on mitochondrial function (MTT reduction) in HT144 (skin cancer) and HCEC (normal) cells. Exponentially growing cultures were treated with different concentrations (5, 12.5, 25, 50, 75, 100 µg/mL) of the nanoparticles and in order to analyze the photo

• scavengers mannitol, NaN3 and DMSO on the photo-oxidative activity of ZnO and ZnO:Ag nanocomposites as measured by MTT assay in HT144 (skin cancer) cells. Viability (mean ± SD) was calculated relative to the NTC samples. (a) ZnO, (b) ZnO:Ag (10%), (c) ZnO:Ag (20%), and (d) ZnO:Ag (30%). *p < 0.01, **p

Silica micro/nanospheres for theranostics: from bimodal MRI and fluorescent imaging probes to cancer therapy

• Shanka Walia and
• Amitabha Acharya

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 546–558, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.57

• was more prominent than that of LSMO@SiF@Si-w, which was attributed to the fact that the latter contains less fluorescein. To check the biocompatibility of these nanocomposites, in vitro studies were carried out on HeLa cells and primary skin fibroblasts. The studies suggested that the HeLa cells

Pulmonary surfactant augments cytotoxicity of silica nanoparticles: Studies on an in vitro air–blood barrier model

• Jennifer Y. Kasper,
• Lisa Feiden,
• Maria I. Hermanns,
• Christoph Bantz,
• Michael Maskos,
• Ronald E. Unger and
• C. James Kirkpatrick

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 517–528, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.54

• protecting the body from external hazards. Examples of these barriers are the skin, the intestine or the alveolar region of the lung. Comparing these protective barriers among each other the air–blood barrier displays (with a thickness of about 2.2 µm) the thinnest barrier. This makes it an ideal portal of

Biological responses to nanoscale particles

• Reinhard Zellner

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 380–382, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.37

• by which manufactured nanoparticles enter a biological environment, interact with its components and interfere with its functions. In this program, the bio–nano response beginning at an exposure entry port such as the lung, the GI tract or the skin has been studied as a sequence of interactions

Overview about the localization of nanoparticles in tissue and cellular context by different imaging techniques

• Anja Ostrowski,
• Daniel Nordmeyer,
• Alexander Boreham,
• Cornelia Holzhausen,
• Lars Mundhenk,
• Christina Graf,
• Martina C. Meinke,
• Annika Vogt,
• Sabrina Hadam,
• Jürgen Lademann,
• Eckart Rühl,
• Ulrike Alexiev and
• Achim D. Gruber

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 263–280, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.25

• possibilities [15][16]. However, other authors have failed to see an aggravation of disease. In some cases, they even reported an alleviation of skin lesions following exposure with SiO2-NP or zinc oxide NP (ZnO-NP) [17][18]. ZnO-NP and titanium dioxide NP (TiO2-NP) are major ingredients of sunscreens [19] and

• various cancers [45][46][47][48]. In several applications, they have proven to possess excellent tumor-targeting efficacy [49]. Likewise, titanium dioxide nanoparticles, essential components of sunscreens, were visualized as yellow-brown particles on superficial stratum corneum layers in HE-stained skin

• discrimination of NP against the background has recently been shown for zinc oxide NP [106] as well as indocarbocyanine (ICC)-labeled core–multishell nanoparticles [107] in the skin, indocarbocyanine-labeled dPGS in the liver [82] and for subcutaneously injected silica-based NP (Figure 4) [81]. Recent