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

• unexplored [3]. Uncovering this water repellence mechanism led to a revolution in the development of such surfaces, which promise huge potential for inspiration for technical innovations and applications. In 2022, we celebrated the 25th anniversary of this significant botanical publication, which was an

A wearable nanoscale heart sound sensor based on P(VDF-TrFE)/ZnO/GR and its application in cardiac disease detection

• Yi Luo,
• Jian Liu,
• Jiachang Zhang,
• Yu Xiao,
• Ying Wu and
• Zhidong Zhao

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 819–833, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.67

• feature that mimics the sensitivity of sound signals of different frequencies in the human ear, based on the hearing mechanism. Extracting MFCC features is useful for modeling heart sound signals. The wavelet feature extraction method uses “db6 wavelet decomposition” to generate seven feature vectors. The

Nanostructured lipid carriers containing benznidazole: physicochemical, biopharmaceutical and cellular in vitro studies

• Giuliana Muraca,
• María Esperanza Ruiz,
• Rocío C. Gambaro,
• Sebastián Scioli-Montoto,
• María Laura Sbaraglini,
• Gisel Padula,
• José Sebastián Cisneros,
• Cecilia Yamil Chain,
• Vera A. Álvarez,
• Cristián Huck-Iriart,
• Guillermo R. Castro,
• María Belén Piñero,
• Matias Ildebrando Marchetto,
• Catalina Alba Soto,
• Germán A. Islan and
• Alan Talevi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 804–818, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.66

• geometrical information, and the exponent n is the diffusional or transport exponent, that provides information about the release mechanism. However, it can also be viewed as a generalization for the explanation of two different drug release mechanisms that could coexist [34]. The mechanism that dominates the

• maximal accumulated release above 74% during 24 h. The release profile was adequately fitted to the Korsmeyer–Peppas model with an estimated release exponent of 0.56, suggesting a mixed mechanism of release with a dominant Fickian behavior. In vitro experiments on T. cruzi trypomastigotes and amastigotes

Silver-based SERS substrates fabricated using a 3D printed microfluidic device

• Phommachith Sonexai,
• Minh Van Nguyen,
• Bui The Huy and
• Yong-Ill Lee

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 793–803, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.65

• particles. The electric field is enhanced, and the Raman enhancement factor (EF) can reach 106 [6]. The induced amplification of the local field by plasmonic coupling occurs in nanometer-scale regions around the metal particles, the so-called electromagnetic “hot spots”. The chemical mechanism suggests the

Silver nanoparticles loaded on lactose/alginate: in situ synthesis, catalytic degradation, and pH-dependent antibacterial activity

• Nguyen Thi Thanh Tu,
• T. Lan-Anh Vo,
• T. Thu-Trang Ho,
• Kim-Phuong T. Dang,
• Van-Dung Le,
• Phan Nhat Minh,
• Chi-Hien Dang,
• Vinh-Thien Tran,
• Van-Su Dang,
• Tran Thi Kim Chi,
• Hieu Vu-Quang,
• Radek Fajgar,
• Thi-Lan-Huong Nguyen,
• Van-Dat Doan and
• Thanh-Danh Nguyen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 781–792, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.64

• antibacterial agents. One of the advantages of AgNPs over bulk metal or salts is their ability to controllably release silver as ions or particles, resulting in prolonged protection against bacteria [20]. While the specific mechanism of their antibacterial properties is not fully understood, mechanisms such as

• antibacterial properties can serve as a source of silver ions. Another mechanism involves the electrostatic attraction between negatively charged microbial cells and positively charged AgNPs [25]. Because of their affinity to sulfur proteins and through electrostatic attraction, silver ions can bind to both

• agents [33]. The efficiency of the catalyst can be improved by studying different carrier materials [34][35]. Interface factors, including morphology and capping agents, play a significant role in the catalytic activity of AgNPs. The ionotropic gelation mechanism has been recently employed to create

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

• was to test whether carboxylic acids stabilize or accelerate nanoceria dissolution in acidic aqueous environments and determine the mechanism of dissolution depending on the molecular structure of each ligand relating to agglomeration or stabilization. In addition, the influence of ambient laboratory

Control of morphology and crystallinity of CNTs in flame synthesis with one-dimensional reaction zone

• Muhammad Hilmi Ibrahim,
• Norikhwan Hamzah,
• Mohd Zamri Mohd Yusop,
• Ni Luh Wulan Septiani and
• Mohd Fairus Mohd Yasin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 741–750, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.61

• widely accepted vapor–liquid–solid mechanism, the growth of CNTs occurs in three steps, namely, melting of nickel particles, adsorption of carbon atoms onto the surface of the metallic nickel, and finally, diffusion and deposition of the precipitated carbon, which forms tubular materials by curling of

• arrangement and grow vertically from the substrate [20]. Said growth model is similar to the mechanism proposed by Baker and co-workers [21][22][23]. At elevated temperatures, catalytic particles are formed on the substrate surface, and hydrocarbon molecules that undergo cracking in the flame diffuse to the

Nanomaterials for photocatalysis and applications in environmental remediation and renewable energy

• Viet Van Pham and
• Wee-Jun Ong

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 722–724, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.58

• photocatalysis mechanism outlining several possible targets (i.e., NOx degradation, water splitting, degradation of organic pollutants, and enhancement of electron generation in a solar-cell application). This Thematic Issue highlights recent experimental and theoretical developments in using light harvesting by

• Wee-Jun Ong Ho Chi Minh City and Sepang, June 2023. A general photocatalytic mechanism for several possible target processes: (1) NOx degradation, (2) water splitting for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions, (3) degradation of organic pollutants, and (4) solar cell application. Acknowledgements

Current-induced mechanical torque in chiral molecular rotors

• Richard Korytár and
• Ferdinand Evers

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 711–721, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.57

• depends on the impact velocity very weakly in the given range. Actually, it increases with decreasing impact velocity (see Figure 8. This is the mechanism of angular boosts studied in the previous section. (2) For nonzero ρF, the collision causes a net torque, the helix always accelerates. In the limit of

• large impact velocities the switching due to angular momentum boosts overtakes and the threshold Im drops inversely proportional to . This regime is the familiar garden hose effect. To take a closer look at the mechanism of angular momentum boosts, we have plotted the threshold momentum current Ip for

Humidity-dependent electrical performance of CuO nanowire networks studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

• Jelena Kosmaca,
• Juris Katkevics,
• Jana Andzane,
• Raitis Sondors,
• Liga Jasulaneca,
• Raimonds Meija,
• Kiryl Niherysh,
• Yelyzaveta Rublova and
• Donats Erts

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 683–691, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.54

• surface (Figure 3c), H+ hopping between neighbouring OH− sites on the nanowire surface can be activated, which is an alternative conduction mechanism [29]. This ionic transport on the surface can compensate for the decrease of electronic transport conductivity inside the material. Since water

• formation of additional physisorbed H2O layers through hydrogen bonding (Figure 3e). The conduction process occurs by the Grotthuss mechanism [29][33][34] of H+ hopping through the network of H2O molecules on the surface (H3O+ + H2O ↔ H2O + H3O+). Higher humidity causes increased concentration of H+ and

Metal-organic framework-based nanomaterials as opto-electrochemical sensors for the detection of antibiotics and hormones: A review

• Akeem Adeyemi Oladipo,
• Saba Derakhshan Oskouei and
• Mustafa Gazi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 631–673, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.52

• resonance, this review will exclusively concentrate on the luminescence (particularly fluorescence) sensing mechanism. The basis for optical sensing is the luminescence mechanism, which is the spontaneous emission in the optical range of ultraviolet, visible, or infrared light by a substance without being

• excitation, for photoluminescence to occur, whether it be fluorescence or phosphorescence. The molecule-bound electron in the fluorescence mechanism absorbs a photon and is activated after the analyte interacts with the molecular recognition element. The transition from the ground state (S0) to the excited

• on an energy transfer mechanism in the sensing system. A water-stable two-dimensional lanthanide-based MOF (Ln-MOF) was synthesised by Ren et al. [38] in a different study to serve as a reversible luminescent sensor for the detection of sulfamethazine (SMZ) antibiotics. According to the authors, the

Suspension feeding in Copepoda (Crustacea) – a numerical model of setae acting in concert

• Alexander E. Filippov,
• Wencke Krings and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 603–615, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.50

• . The second mechanism involves structures manipulating the water flow (e.g., setae and tentacles) that redirect the food particles and lead them to specialized structures that contact and capture them. A good example for the latter mechanism are the filtering setae of crustaceans (for in-depth reviews

ZnO-decorated SiC@C hybrids with strong electromagnetic absorption

• Liqun Duan,
• Zhiqian Yang,
• Yilu Xia,
• Xiaoqing Dai,
• Jian’an Wu and
• Minqian Sun

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 565–573, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.47

• provide locations for the deposition of Zn2+ via electrostatic interactions. Cao et al. [26] have reported the growth of ZnO particles on MWCNTs through a similar mechanism. However, in their case, the functional groups on the MWCNTs were obtained by ultrasonic treatment in concentrated nitric acid. Four

Carbon nanotube-cellulose ink for rapid solvent identification

• Tiago Amarante,
• Thiago H. R. Cunha,
• Claudio Laudares,
• Ana P. M. Barboza,
• Ana Carolina dos Santos,
• Cíntia L. Pereira,
• Vinicius Ornelas,
• Bernardo R. A. Neves,
• André S. Ferlauto and
• Rodrigo G. Lacerda

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 535–543, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.44

• sensor based on a carbon nanotube–cellulose ink that proves to be highly sensitive to various solvents and water with different impurity levels and can detect glycerin in water down to the 10–100 ppm range. We provide insights into the liquid detection mechanism, combining the well-known swelling

• mechanism of polymer composites with physicochemical characteristics such as dielectric constant, specific heat, and vapor pressure [25][56][57]. Our ink-based devices could extract those characteristics even from unknown samples and mixtures. Finally, test analysis using principal component analysis (PCA

• . Further details can be found in Supporting Information File 1. Electronic tongue mechanism Figure 4a shows the behavior of a liquid as a function of the time as it gets in contact with the transducer. Initially, the composite is dry, at a constant temperature, and traversed by a constant current (red part

A mid-infrared focusing grating coupler with a single circular arc element based on germanium on silicon

• Xiaojun Zhu,
• Shuai Li,
• Ang Sun,
• Yongquan Pan,
• Wen Liu,
• Yue Wu,
• Guoan Zhang and
• Yuechun Shi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 478–484, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.38

• details of the Gaussian beam are as follows: The injection axis is the z axis, the waist radius is 3 µm, and the center wavelength is 7 μm. The coupling mechanism of the grating can be characterized as [11]: where n1 is the refractive index of the surrounding air (n1 = 1), θ is the coupling angle, λ is

Conjugated photothermal materials and structure design for solar steam generation

• Chia-Yang Lin and
• Tsuyoshi Michinobu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 454–466, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.36

• nonradiative relaxation of excited electrons to the ground state. Depending on the interaction mechanism, photothermal phenomena are classified into three categories, namely plasmonic local heating of metals, nonradiative relaxation of semiconductors, and thermal vibration relaxation of conjugated molecules

Molecular nanoarchitectonics: unification of nanotechnology and molecular/materials science

• Katsuhiko Ariga

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 434–453, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.35

• , molecular nanoelectronics beyond current silicon-based device technologies can be realized. It also provides new scientific opportunities, such as measuring electrical conduction in structurally perfect one-dimensional materials and analyzing the propagation mechanism of chain polymerization. Thus, various

Evaluation of electrosynthesized reduced graphene oxide–Ni/Fe/Co-based (oxy)hydroxide catalysts towards the oxygen evolution reaction

• Karolina Cysewska,
• Marcin Łapiński,
• Marcin Zając,
• Jakub Karczewski,
• Piotr Jasiński and
• Sebastian Molin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 420–433, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.34

• indicates that the same OER catalytic mechanism was in action. The addition of GO to NiFe resulted in a slight increase of the slope from 41 to 46 mV·dec−1, while the presence of GO in CoNiFe led to a decrease in Tafel slope down to 33 mV·dec−1. Figure 5d and Figure 5e present a linear approximation of the

Plasmonic nanotechnology for photothermal applications – an evaluation

• A. R. Indhu,
• L. Keerthana and
• Gnanaprakash Dharmalingam

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 380–419, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.33

• as: Employing the appropriate of the described equations ensures compatibility of assumptions and the observed results. Any deviations could imply a multitude of factors, such as differences in assumptions in terms of the dominant mechanism of heat transfer, a deficient representation of the particle

The steep road to nonviral nanomedicines: Frequent challenges and culprits in designing nanoparticles for gene therapy

• Yao Yao,
• Yeongun Ko,
• Grant Grasman,
• Jeffery E. Raymond and
• Joerg Lahann

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 351–361, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.30

• Mechanism Currently, extensive research is focused on the improvement of NP carrier design and gene delivery efficiency [23][24][25][26]. Recent debates within the gene delivery field have highlighted the need for an improved understanding about what cellular/subcellular features underscore the success of

Polymer nanoparticles from low-energy nanoemulsions for biomedical applications

• Santiago Grijalvo and
• Carlos Rodriguez-Abreu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 339–350, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.29

• component addition or on the thermal history. Nanoemulsions are not to be confused with microemulsions, which are equilibrium systems with thermodynamic stability [4]. Because of their very small drop size, the main mechanism for nanoemulsion destabilization is commonly attributed to Ostwald ripening

Overview of mechanism and consequences of endothelial leakiness caused by metal and polymeric nanoparticles

• Magdalena Lasak and
• Karol Ciepluch

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 329–338, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.28

• therapeutic targets and strategies to improve drug delivery through controlling and regulating NanoEL. Nevertheless, the NanoEL mechanism also carries some limitations that result from an incomplete understanding of NP metabolism and toxicity, and the possibility of their participation in the unintended

• bidirectional vascular permeability, which may contribute to the formation of cancer metastases. In this review we are focusing on the effect of metal and polymeric NPs on mechanism and degree of induction of NanoEL, as well as on the benefits and risks of using NPs that induce endothelial leakiness. Keywords

• cytokines known to increase endothelial permeability. Moreover, modulators that stimulate endothelial permeability include thrombin, angiopoietins (Ang1, Ang2), bacterial endotoxin (LPS), and VEGF (vascular permeability factor). The main mechanism of action of the above modulators is based primarily on the

Quasi-guided modes resulting from the band folding effect in a photonic crystal slab for enhanced interactions of matters with free-space radiations

• Kaili Sun,
• Yangjian Cai,
• Uriel Levy and
• Zhanghua Han

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 322–328, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.27

• directions. This suggests the possibility of resonance tuning over an extended bandwidth by using the incident angle along two different directions as the tuning mechanism. More importantly, we further illustrate that these QGM resonances have a significantly enhanced local electric field, which is even

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

• carrier separation, high photo-transporter mobility, appropriate physical and chemical properties, sufficient band alignment to meet the kinetic requirements of the target reaction, and anti-corrosion stability in reactive environments [18][19][20]. Figure 1 depicts the mechanism of the photocatalyst. In

• reactors. Photocatalysis mechanism for bismuth-based photocatalyst and degradation pathway of target pollutant molecule Understanding

Biocatalytic synthesis and ordered self-assembly of silica nanoparticles via a silica-binding peptide

• Mustafa Gungormus

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 280–290, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.25

• becomes growth by monomer addition to the surface of the particles. At 1 mM concentration, however, the SiBP alters this profile and delays the aggregation of early approx. 10 nm particles into larger particles (Figure 4b). The most likely mechanism for this is the SiBP binding on the surface of the