Use of nanosystems to improve the anticancer effects of curcumin

• Andrea M. Araya-Sibaja,
• Norma J. Salazar-López,
• Krissia Wilhelm Romero,
• José R. Vega-Baudrit,
• J. Abraham Domínguez-Avila,
• Carlos A. Velázquez Contreras,
• Ramón E. Robles-Zepeda,
• Mirtha Navarro-Hoyos and
• Gustavo A. González-Aguilar

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1047–1062, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.78

• subcellular anticancer therapies which carry the drug and better focus it on the intended target. They are also able to contain molecules that respond to endogenous (tumor microenvironment, including redox potential, pH, enzymes, ions, or biomolecules) and/or exogenous stimuli (light, electromagnetic fields

Modification of a SERS-active Ag surface to promote adsorption of charged analytes: effect of Cu²⁺ ions

• Bahdan V. Ranishenka,
• Andrei Yu. Panarin,
• Irina A. Chelnokova,
• Sergei N. Terekhov,
• Peter Mojzes and
• Vadim V. Shmanai

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 902–912, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.67

• remaining polymer molecules are not able to generate a strong positive charge at the surface but they improve the adsorption of the analyte molecules due to hydrogen bonding and donor–acceptor and lipophilic interactions. SERS analysis of dye-labeled oligonucleotides Biomolecules such as nucleotides and

• nucleic acids are of great interest for practical SERS applications. Oligonucleotides are the most suitable biomolecules for electrostatic interaction studies because of their strong negative charge. Recently, we showed the crucial role of electrostatic interactions of oligonucleotides with NP surfaces

Comprehensive review on ultrasound-responsive theranostic nanomaterials: mechanisms, structures and medical applications

• Sepand Tehrani Fateh,
• Lida Moradi,
• Elmira Kohan,
• Michael R. Hamblin and
• Amin Shiralizadeh Dezfuli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 808–862, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.64

Recent progress in magnetic applications for micro- and nanorobots

• Ke Xu,
• Shuang Xu and
• Fanan Wei

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 744–755, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.58

• in the fluid under the influence of the rotating magnetic field. Higher viscosity fluids made the helix-like shaped MNRs swim faster. In order to further promote the functionalization of biomolecules, a layer of titanium was deposited on the outside, which not only served as a protective layer, but

Fate and transformation of silver nanoparticles in different biological conditions

• Barbara Pem,
• Marija Ćurlin,
• Darija Domazet Jurašin,
• Valerije Vrček,
• Rinea Barbir,
• Vedran Micek,
• Raluca M. Fratila,
• Jesus M. de la Fuente and
• Ivana Vinković Vrček

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 665–679, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.53

• will not be retained in biological media [9][10][11][12][13][14]. In biological media, AgNPs may be transformed into different forms by aggregation, agglomeration, dissolution, interaction with biomolecules, or generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that may lead to the coexistence of

• association of Ag with sulphur and the formation of Ag2S granules from ion exchange or Ag–thiol complexes is known as sulphidation [28][29]. However, many other scenarios should be considered during an in vivo journey of AgNPs and Ag+ ions, especially their interactions with biomolecules, such as lipids

• and BP media. We tried to quantify the release of Ag+ from the surface of different AgNPs incubated in WB or tissue homogenates. However, all the attempts to extract free Ag+ ions from such media by ultracentrifuge filtration failed. Probably, free Ag+ ions were either bound to biomolecules or

A review of defect engineering, ion implantation, and nanofabrication using the helium ion microscope

• Frances I. Allen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 633–664, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.52

• biomolecules by optical means, as opposed to having to rely on the conventional ionic current method. Nanopore fabrication using the HIM is discussed in more detail in Section 5. The HIM has also been used to tune the optical properties of quantum well structures [61]. In this work, epitaxially grown InGaAs

On the stability of microwave-fabricated SERS substrates – chemical and morphological considerations

• Limin Wang,
• Aisha Adebola Womiloju,
• Christiane Höppener,
• Ulrich S. Schubert and
• Stephanie Hoeppener

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 541–551, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.44

• choice of a suitable media is of utmost importance for many biological investigations as it can alter the structure of biomolecules (e.g., proteins) [33]. We tested five commonly used buffer systems which include phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), HEPES-buffered glucose solution (HBG), tris-borate-EDTA

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering of water in aqueous dispersions of silver nanoparticles

• Paulina Filipczak,
• Krzysztof Hałagan,
• Jacek Ulański and
• Marcin Kozanecki

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 497–506, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.40

• discovery of the SERS effect in 1974 [27], most of the research is focused on biomolecules and medical applications [28][29]. The SERS effect of water has been studied since 1980. There are reports on the SERS effect of water in aqueous solutions of electrolytes placed between metal electrodes (Ag, Au, Cu

A review on nanostructured silver as a basic ingredient in medicine: physicochemical parameters and characterization

• Gabriel M. Misirli,
• Kishore Sridharan and
• Shirley M. P. Abrantes

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 440–461, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.36

• effective in inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 by using AgNPs to coat facial masks [77][120]. These results are suggestive of the development of new measures in which AgNPs can be used to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection. Biological interactions of AgNPs When in contact with human plasma, AgNPs adsorb biomolecules such as

A review on the green and sustainable synthesis of silver nanoparticles and one-dimensional silver nanostructures

• Sina Kaabipour and
• Shohreh Hemmati

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 102–136, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.9

• biosynthesis occurs outside of cells due to the presence of biomolecules [191], which depends on the type of cell culture used. For instance, cell-wall deficient cells are typically more inclined towards intracellular biosynthesis as the cell-wall is known to act as a barrier for the diffusion of metal cations

Effect of different silica coatings on the toxicity of upconversion nanoparticles on RAW 264.7 macrophage cells

• Cynthia Kembuan,
• Helena Oliveira and
• Christina Graf

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 35–48, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.3

• oxidative stress and cause apoptosis. In addition, intracellular redox homeostasis and gene expression can be modulated [26]. Lanthanide ions are usually not reported as highly toxic. However, they can interact with proteins, enzymes, and other biomolecules [27][28] and might also cause oxidative damage or

• protect UCNPs surfaces from dissolution. In contrast to a more complex polymeric coating, silica surfaces can be easily functionalized with a wide range of coupling agents and biomolecules, and the interior of the silica shell can be modified by integrating dye molecules, for example. However, amorphous

Bio-imaging with the helium-ion microscope: A review

• Matthias Schmidt,
• James M. Byrne and
• Ilari J. Maasilta

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1–23, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.1

Fabrication of nano/microstructures for SERS substrates using an electrochemical method

• Jingran Zhang,
• Tianqi Jia,
• Xiaoping Li,
• Junjie Yang,
• Zhengkai Li,
• Guangfeng Shi,
• Xinming Zhang and
• Zuobin Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1568–1576, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.139

• /nanopore; nano/microstructures; SERS substrate; Introduction Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) can be used to detect biomolecules [1][2][3], explosives [4][5][6], and pesticide residues [7][8][9]. Plasmonic metal nanostructures are often used as SERS substrates to increase the molecule-specific

Antimicrobial metal-based nanoparticles: a review on their synthesis, types and antimicrobial action

• Matías Guerrero Correa,
• Fernanda B. Martínez,
• Cristian Patiño Vidal,
• Camilo Streitt,
• Juan Escrig and
• Carol Lopez de Dicastillo

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1450–1469, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.129

• intracellularly or in the extracellular milieu, where the biomolecules released from the cells are located. As an example of the latter, Pseudomonas strutzeri bacteria can successfully generate Ag NPs extracellularly [84]. Conversely, the bioreduction of iron followed by the precipitation of an oxide, which is

Wafer-level integration of self-aligned high aspect ratio silicon 3D structures using the MACE method with Au, Pd, Pt, Cu, and Ir

• Mathias Franz,
• Romy Junghans,
• Paul Schmitt,
• Adriana Szeghalmi and
• Stefan E. Schulz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1439–1449, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.128

• platform and can be adapted to detect biomolecules [9]. Silicon nanowires are used as template for cancer sensors. The nanowires are implemented as gate in integrated sensing FETs [10][11]. A wide range of chemical sensors and biosensors benefit from porous silicon structures [12]. All these presented

Transient coating of γ-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles with glutamate for its delivery to and removal from brain nerve terminals

• Konstantin Paliienko,
• Artem Pastukhov,
• Michal Babič,
• Daniel Horák,
• Olga Vasylchenko and
• Tatiana Borisova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1381–1393, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.122

• grafting of biomolecules via ionic bonding or adsorption and by the covalent conjugation of biomolecules via strong chemical bonding [17][18]. Noncovalent nanoparticle functionalization is relatively easy to undertake. However, the results are difficult to control and to reproduce presumably because of

• al. studied how biomolecules influenced the stability of gold nanoparticles and showed that serum proteins at high concentrations stabilized the nanoparticles, whereas lower concentrations enhanced nanoparticle aggregation. Also, immunoglobulins and fibrinogen caused a greater extent of particle

Ultrasensitive detection of cadmium ions using a microcantilever-based piezoresistive sensor for groundwater

• Dinesh Rotake,
• Anand Darji and
• Nitin Kale

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 1242–1253, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.108

• binding sites are available for cadmium ions on the microcantilever surface. Two microcantilevers exhibit a decrease in resistance because of tensile stress due to a small number of biomolecules (Cd(II)) binding to the surface (Figure 4b,d), while the other three microcantilevers exhibit an increase in

• the resistance because of compressive surface stress when a large number of biomolecules bind to the microcantilever surface (Figure 4a,c,e) [47]. Figure 5 demonstrates the average change in piezoresistance of a sensor based on Au-Cys-DL-GC-coated cantilevers for different heavy metals (AlCl3, MnCl2

Identification of physicochemical properties that modulate nanoparticle aggregation in blood

• Ludovica Soddu,
• Duong N. Trinh,
• Eimear Dunne,
• Dermot Kenny,
• Giorgia Bernardini,
• Ida Kokalari,
• Arianna Marucco,
• Marco P. Monopoli and
• Ivana Fenoglio

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 550–567, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.44

• have shown that specific NPs have been able to bind to biomolecules from the coagulation system and induce haemorrhage or thrombosis [4]. The depletion of soluble coagulation factors (e.g., fibrinogen, XII factor) may occur following adsorption of the factors at the NP surface. On the other hand, the

Luminescent gold nanoclusters for bioimaging applications

• Nonappa

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 533–546, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.42

• ; biosensing; gold nanoclusters; immunoassay; luminescence; self-assembly; theranostics; Introduction Imaging methods play a central role in understanding the structural and functional biological processes of biomolecules, cells, tissues, organs, and even entire living organisms [1][2]. The importance of

• biomolecules [7]. Antibodies conjugated to low molecular weight fluorescent dyes have been used for various bioimaging applications [8]. Despite their cost-effectiveness, and water solubility, organic dyes display a small Stokes shift, low photochemical stability and they undergo photobleaching [9][10

• rapid detection and the development of new immunoassays. Imaging and labeling mammalian cell lines Beyond their antibacterial effect and pathogen sensing, the surface functionalities of NCs allow for selective labeling for the detection of biomolecules, intracellular metal ion sensing, live-cell imaging

Multilayer capsules made of weak polyelectrolytes: a review on the preparation, functionalization and applications in drug delivery

• Varsha Sharma and
• Anandhakumar Sundaramurthy

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 508–532, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.41

• multilayer capsules as drug delivery vehicles [17]. They are capable of encapsulating all kinds of substances and/or molecules ranging from enzymes, nucleic acid, peptides, proteins, therapeutic drugs, biomolecules, fluorescent molecules and nanoparticles (NPs) in their hollow cavity [18]. This can be

• in the shell are also used to carry out the release of the encapsulated payload in a controlled manner. The incorporation of functionalities such as organic molecules, NPs, fluorescent dyes, polymers, nanotubes and other biomolecules into the PE multilayers during the fabrication makes it easy to

• calixarene units covalently bound in various ways. Although there are many reports on calixerene [59], cyclodextrins offer a wide scope for such interactions in biological applications. They could act as a host for many biomolecules or drugs via hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic interaction or van der Waals

Interactions at the cell membrane and pathways of internalization of nano-sized materials for nanomedicine

• Valentina Francia,
• Daphne Montizaan and
• Anna Salvati

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 338–353, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.25

• success [13][14], and so far only few targeted nanomedicines are currently present in the market, even if several are in clinical trials [6]. Recent advances in the field have shown the complexity of achieving targeted uptake by specific cells. For example, it has been shown that the biomolecules

• biomolecules leading to the formation of a corona [36][37][38][39]. It has been shown that, in some cases, the presence of the corona can mask the targeting moieties grafted on the nanoparticle surface, preventing recognition by cell receptors [15][16][40]. Corona formation can affect not only the targeting

• modifications reduce the amount of biomolecules bound on the surface of nanomedicines after administration (though it has been shown that PEGylated surfaces can still adsorb proteins [46][47]) and usually also lead to decreased uptake by cells. At the same time, the corona confers a new biological identity to

Facile biogenic fabrication of hydroxyapatite nanorods using cuttlefish bone and their bactericidal and biocompatibility study

• Satheeshkumar Balu,
• Manisha Vidyavathy Sundaradoss,
• Swetha Andra and
• Jaison Jeevanandam

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 285–295, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.21

• nanorods into the bacterial cell wall to interact with the cellular biomolecules that increases the osmotic potential and its associated irreversible damage and (ii) the generation of free reactive oxygen species (ROS) radicals that are induced by nanorods that interact with the bacterial membrane and

Using gold nanoparticles to detect single-nucleotide polymorphisms: toward liquid biopsy

• María Sanromán Iglesias and
• Marek Grzelczak

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 263–284, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.20

• simple blood test, setting thus a milestone of “liquid biopsy”. Liquid biopsy has the potential to accelerate the early cancer diagnosis by the detection of biomolecules such as cell-fee DNA directly in blood samples. Currently, the development of liquid biopsies is directly linked to the state-of-the

• nanoparticles (metallic gold) are widely applied in the development of biological sensing devices. Gold is an inert metal that exhibits exceptional chemical stability in physiological media and the readiness for surface functionalization with desired biomolecules through stable Au–S bonds. The key properties of

Rational design of block copolymer self-assemblies in photodynamic therapy

• Maxime Demazeau,
• Laure Gibot,
• Anne-Françoise Mingotaud,
• Patricia Vicendo,
• Clément Roux and
• Barbara Lonetti

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 180–212, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.15

Molecular architectonics of DNA for functional nanoarchitectures

• Debasis Ghosh,
• Lakshmi P. Datta and
• Thimmaiah Govindaraju

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2020, 11, 124–140, doi:10.3762/bjnano.11.11

• attractive concept in materials science [1][2]. Exploitation of biomolecules and their in-built information for molecular recognition to engineer ordered assemblies and coassemblies of SFMs is termed as molecular architectonics [3][4]. The construction of molecular architectures through the controlled

• assembly of designed molecular units with fascinating properties and functions is central to all materials and bioengineering processes [1][2][3][4]. The use of biomolecules or synthetic systems with biomolecular components is capable of aiding the judicious regulation of molecular assembly parameters and

• properties to construct novel functional architectures in the scheme of molecular architectonics [1][2]. Among all biomolecules, DNA, with a well-defined structure, is the epitome of molecular recognition and a robust system for molecular and materials engineering. The molecular stability, predictable