Development of Protium heptaphyllum essential oil-loaded nanocapsules: experimental design and biological activity

• Debora Freitas Silva,
• Kaidy Giselle Orellana,
• Allessya Lara Dantas Formiga,
• Jin Wang,
• Eloisa Helena de Aguiar Andrade,
• Aline Collares Valente Pinheiro,
• Maria Izabel de Jesus,
• Francisco Canindé Ferreira de Luna,
• Wallax Augusto Silva Ferreira,
• Edivaldo Herculano Correa de Oliveira,
• Francisco Humberto Xavier Junior,
• Emmanuel Abraham Ho and
• Marcele Fonseca Passos

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 974–990, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.67

• Gram-negative strains such as Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa due to their outer membranes that have reduced susceptibility to hydrophobic compounds like EOs. This approach would enable a more comprehensive evaluation of the antimicrobial potential of the nanocapsules. Experimental

Materials challenges in solid-state sensors for continuous monitoring of ions in water

• Maryam Darestani-Farahani and
• Peter Kruse

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 935–973, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.66

Nanocarrier strategies to overcome P-glycoprotein-mediated drug resistance in cancer therapy

• Andreina Quevedo-Enríquez,
• Katty Yi Zhang,
• Denisse Yajaira Enriquez,
• Byron Raul Inapanta,
• Roxana Noemí Peroni and
• Christian Rafael Quijia

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 882–921, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.64

• -gp functions as an ATP-dependent efflux pump with broad substrate promiscuity for hydrophobic and amphipathic compounds. Clinically relevant chemotherapeutic agents expelled by P-gp include anthracyclines (doxorubicin, daunorubicin), vinca alkaloids (vinblastine, vincristine), taxanes (paclitaxel

• diminished ability to encapsulate hydrophobic substances and the possibility of structural changes with time. An exemplary case includes curcumin-loaded SLNs, which have shown effectiveness in counteracting P-gp-mediated resistance to doxorubicin in triple-negative breast cancer. These nanoparticles

• platform to address several mechanisms of MDR. The amphiphilic copolymer has a hydrophobic core that can co-encapsulate doxorubicin, a chemotherapeutic agent, and indocyanine green, a photothermal agent. The C-PEG coating fulfills two essential functions: It extends circulation duration and improves

Nanoparticle delivery systems for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP): advances and challenges

• Sonia Zahara and
• Björn M. Reinhard

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 839–853, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.60

• -PrEP. They can be designed to encapsulate both hydrophobic or hydrophilic drugs, protect drugs from enzymatic degradation, and control release kinetics. Nanoparticle platforms that combine the capacity to hold a high payload of ARVs with the ability to carry it to specific sites and release it locally

• encapsulate both hydrophilic and hydrophobic ARVs. Moreover, the ease of surface functionalization with targeting ligands such as glycosphingolipids, peptides, or antibodies makes them an interesting option for targeted delivery to HIV-relevant immune cells, including CD4+ T cells. Immune cells not only serve

• biodegradation and biocompatibility, as well as capacity for payload depending on their chemical composition and structure. Lipid-based systems, like liposomes, are highly biocompatible and can carry both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs, but achieving sustained release can be difficult due to limitations in

Cross-scale design of chemosensor arrays: from molecular self-assembly in water to paper-based devices for metal ion detection

• Yui Sasaki and
• Tsuyoshi Minami

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 828–838, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.59

• substrates influences the magnitude of optical changes [60]. In addition, the fiber structures of paper substrates effectively contribute to the high dispersion of chemosensor elements [28]. The fabrication process in Figure 7A begins with patterning a hydrophobic layer using an office wax printer. The

Interface-engineered Caco-2 cell culture on a collagen-coated liquid–liquid interface in a microfluidic device

• Satoru Kuriu and
• Soo Hyeon Kim

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 760–768, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.53

• stable monolayer formation, demonstrating their potential as engineered bioactive substrates [10]. Owing to their dynamic responsiveness to chemical and physical stimuli, such interfaces can also serve as reservoirs or delivery media for gases and hydrophobic molecules [11]. Incorporating a liquid–liquid

Molecular engineering of individual dye-based nanoparticle photostability for ultrabright two-photon fluorescence

• Eleonore Kurek,
• Sasha Cooper,
• Alexandre Clausolles,
• Karen Perronet,
• Jonathan Daniel,
• Mireille Blanchard-Desce and
• François Marquier

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 688–696, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.48

• hydrophobic dye molecules. Their most notable asset is their exceptional brightness, which is the product of their one- or two-photon absorption cross sections, their fluorescence quantum yield, and the number of dye molecules per nanoparticle [1]. Thanks to the ultimate confinement of a large number of dye

Protein-based custom-designed molecular nanotraps for biomedical applications

• Devid Maniglio,
• Alice Marinangeli and
• Alessandra Maria Bossi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 683–687, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.47

• great variability in amino acid sequences, which provides charged, hydrophobic, and hydrophilic functionalities for molecular recognition. Proteins possess secondary structures, such as alpha helices and beta sheets, which can be exploited to modulate the stiffness of the formed bioMIPs. Ultimately

Decontamination from water pollutants and pathogens by electrospun nanofibers doped with heavy-atom-free borafluorene-BODIPY photosensitizers

• Angelika Zaszczyńska,
• Paulina H. Marek-Urban,
• Karolina Wrochna,
• Agnieszka E. Kuklewska,
• Kacper Kręgielewski,
• Marta Grodzik,
• Dawid R. Natkowski,
• Jolanta Mierzejewska,
• Ewa Iwanek,
• Agata Blacha-Grzechnik,
• Paweł Sajkiewicz and
• Krzysztof Durka

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 668–682, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.46

• typical range for electrospun materials. The addition of highly hydrophobic BODIPY to the polymer fibers slightly reduced the hydrophilicity of the material. This is evidenced by a small but systematic decrease in the water contact angle (WCA), from 122° ± 0.9° for pure PCL to 117.49° ± 3.1° for 1(0.50 wt

Recent progress in enhancing built-in electric fields of perovskite solar cells via junction engineering

• Tong Xiao and
• Ke Xu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 602–621, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.42

• % efficiency at 85 °C for 300 h, 88% after 30 days in nitrogen, and 80.8% under 400 h of continuous illumination, with enhanced stability attributed to hydrophobic fluorinated chains, –SF3 defect passivation, and lattice strain release. In graded junctions, BEF degradation arises directly from the collapse of

Towards targeted drugs and next generation of nanomedicines

• Anna Salvati,
• Silvia Giordani and
• Wolfgang J. Parak

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 598–601, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.41

• future development. Bioavailability is an important factor for pharmaceutical agents. Here nanoparticles have the great advantage that their physicochemical properties can be largely tailored. A hydrophobic drug can be made more water soluble by linking it to a hydrophilic nanoparticle. However, as with

Nanocarrier-integrated multilayer films produced by 3D printing for improved skin adhesion and curcumin photostability

• Thayse Viana de Oliveira,
• Ana Paula Farias Leão,
• Júlia Leão,
• Cesar Liberato Petzhold and
• Ruy Carlos Ruver Beck

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 440–453, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.30

• physical mixture. In the FC film, the absence of sharp endothermic transitions suggests molecular dispersion of curcumin within the polymeric matrix and the formation of intermolecular interactions, such as hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic associations, which likely contribute to reinforcement of the

Biomimetic nanoparticles in cancer photodynamic therapy: a review of targeted delivery systems and therapeutic outcomes

• Valentina I. Gorbacheva,
• Alexey S. Grabovoy,
• Polina S. Marukhina,
• Anastasiia O. Syrocheva and
• Ekaterina P. Kolesova

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 396–422, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.27

• PDT offers advantages like precision targeting and minimal invasiveness, its clinical translation faces significant hurdles, namely, poor tumor accumulation of hydrophobic PSs [4], hypoxia-induced treatment resistance [5], and limited immune activation [6]. To overcome these limitations

• , nanoencapsulation strategies for PSs are being actively developed [7][8]. Encapsulation of hydrophobic PSs in nanocarriers such as liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, or micelles addresses solubility and stability, preventing aggregation [9]. Nanoparticles with sizes of 10–200 nm passively accumulate in tumor

• between high loading capacity, preserved photophysical activity, controlled release, and targeting specificity. Several advanced strategies have been developed and tailored to integrate PSs into BNPs. These approaches take into consideration the hydrophobic nature of the PS, the chemical functionalities

Polycatecholamine nanocoatings on stainless steel: the effect on attachment of human fibroblasts and platelets

• Paulina Trzaskowska,
• Ewa Rybak,
• Maciej Trzaskowski,
• Kamil Kopeć,
• Jakub Krzemiński,
• Rafał Podgórski,
• Hatice Genc,
• Mehtap Civelek and
• Iwona Cicha

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 365–380, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.25

• presented in the Introduction section, PDA and PTYR coatings consist of catechol and quinone groups, as well as primary and secondary amine groups (Figure 2c). Contact angle (CA) values presented in Table 1 indicate that the SS 316L surface without any modifications is hydrophobic (99.40°), whereas all PDA

Advancing nanolithography: a comprehensive review of materials for local anodic oxidation with AFM

• Matteo Lorenzoni

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 275–291, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.19

• meniscus, which is crucial for consistent oxidation. Engineering the substrate’s surface energy is another promising avenue. Substrates with controlled hydrophilic or hydrophobic properties can help localize the oxidation process, reducing lateral spreading and improving feature sharpness. Advanced

Durable antimicrobial activity of fabrics functionalized with zeolite ion-exchanged nanomaterials against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli

• Perla Sánchez-López,
• Kendra Ramirez Acosta,
• Sergio Fuentes Moyado,
• Ruben Dario Cadena-Nava and
• Elena Smolentseva

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 262–274, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.18

• “smart textiles”, possess a range of properties, including antistatic, UV-blocking, hydrophobic, electronic, thermoregulation, and antimicrobial effects [21][22][23]. One of the simplest way to incorporate nanomaterials into fabrics is by mimicking designs found in nature. It is well known that the

• against E. coli and S. aureus were conducted using a custom protocol based on the zone of inhibition method (ISO 20645) for hydrophobic fabrics. The experiments were performed using textile squares of approximately 0.5 × 0.5 cm2 of non-functionalized fabric (C− or negative control), fabric inoculated with

From shield to spear: Charge-reversible nanocarriers in overcoming cancer therapy barriers

• Madhuri Yeduvaka,
• Pooja Mittal,
• Ameer Boyalakuntla,
• Usman Bee Shaik,
• Himanshu Sharma,
• Thakur Gurjeet Singh,
• Siva Nageswara Rao Gajula and
• Lakshmi Vineela Nalla

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 159–175, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.10

• toxicity [52]. For example, a nanocarrier constructed by conjugating 2,3-dimethylmaleic anhydride (DMA) and 3,3-dithiopropionic acid-modified doxorubicin (DTPA-DOX) onto poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(ʟ-lysine) (PEG-b-PLL) encapsulates triptolide in its hydrophobic core. Under acidic tumour extracellular pH

Functional surface engineering for cultural heritage protection: the role of superhydrophobic and superoleophobic coatings – a comprehensive review

• Giuseppe Cesare Lama,
• Marino Lavorgna,
• Letizia Verdolotti,
• Federica Recupido,
• Giovanna Giuliana Buonocore and
• Bharat Bhushan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 63–96, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.6

• ). The experimental coatings exhibited superior durability, being able to provide oleo/hydrophobic and anti-graffiti properties, also withstanding the action of bird excreta. Regarding the ICOM criteria, both studies demonstrate that the criteria of transparency and stability are satisfactorily achieved

• protecting wood (Castanea sativa, chestnut, and Quercus pubescens, oak) by developing a highly hydrophobic coating using environmentally friendly components. Their work focused on protection against the principal threat of water adsorption (which may cause swelling, warping, and structural weakening) by

Subdigital integumentary microstructure in Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkota): do those lineages with incipiently expressed toepads exclusively exhibit adhesive setae?

• Philipp Ginal,
• Yannick Ecker,
• Timothy Higham,
• L. Lee Grismer,
• Benjamin Wipfler,
• Dennis Rödder,
• Anthony Russell and
• Jendrian Riedel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 38–56, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.4

• putatively originally served as epidermal structures that facilitated shedding [26] and/or aided in maintaining skin hygiene thanks to their hydrophobic and self-cleaning properties [27][28]. The presence of setae is considered to be an adaptation associated with a scansorial (climbing), and especially

Internal 3D temperature mapping in biological systems using ratiometric light-sheet imaging and lipid-coated upconversion nanothermometers

• Dannareli Barron-Ortiz,
• Enric Pérez-Parets,
• Rubén D. Cadena-Nava,
• Emilio J. Gualda,
• Jacob Licea-Rodríguez,
• Juan Hernández-Cordero,
• Pablo Loza-Álvarez and
• Israel Rocha-Mendoza

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2306–2316, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.159

• mapping in living organisms. Materials and Methods Lipid-wrapped UCNPs Due to their highly hydrophobic nature, commercial NaYF4:Yb3+/Er3+ UCNPs (Sigma-Aldrich, No. 900556 1 ML) were coated with lipids to enhance their water dispersibility. This lipid coating (UCNPs@lipids) was applied using a modified

Ultrathin water layers on mannosylated gold nanoparticles

• Maiara A. Iriarte Alonso,
• Jorge H. Melillo,
• Silvina Cerveny,
• Yujin Tong and
• Alexander M. Bittner

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2183–2198, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.151

• light scattering, and infrared spectroscopy. We probed particles adsorbed on hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces with atomic force microscopy (AFM) and vibrational sum frequency generation (VSFG) spectroscopy, both operated under variable air humidity. For AFM, we additionally tested hydrophilic and

• hydrophobic tips. While VSFG indicated preferential hydration of the dimannoside and proved conformational changes in the organic ligands, AFM provided sub-nanometer changes in particle topography due to water adsorption. In general, the dimannoside nanoparticles condense ultrathin water layers upon humidity

• hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces We assessed with SEM and AFM the aggregation tendency of the particles after adsorption. To this end, we determined water contact angles. The hydrophilic APDMES silicon gave 66 ± 3º. In contrast, on the hydrophobic octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) silicon, it was 92 ± 2º

Microplastic pollution in Himalayan lakes: assessment, risks, and sustainable remediation strategies

• Sameeksha Rawat,
• S. M. Tauseef and
• Madhuben Sharma

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2144–2167, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.148

• metabolic disturbance in aquatic life [114]. MPs also act as carriers of hydrophobic organic pollutants such as pesticides, heavy metals, and persistent organic pollutants, which are more harmful when ingested [23]. Trophic transfer issues are generated by the bioaccumulation of MPs in fish, with birds and

Quality by design optimization of microemulsions for topical delivery of Passiflora setacea seed oil

• Daniel T. Pereira,
• Douglas Dourado,
• Danielle T. Freire,
• Dayanne L. Porto,
• Cícero F. S. Aragão,
• Myla L. de Souza,
• Guilherme R. S. de Araujo,
• Ana Maria Costa,
• Wógenes N. Oliveira,
• Anne Sapin-Minet,
• Éverton N. Alencar and
• Eryvaldo Sócrates T. Egito

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2116–2131, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.146

• the oil phase, particularly the fatty acids in OPS, as well as the surfactants. In particular, the autoxidation of the polyoxyethylene (POE) chains in the hydrophilic head group of the PEG-30 castor oil and the hydrolysis of the surfactant hydrophobic tails may have contributed to the observed pH

Molecular and mechanical insights into gecko seta adhesion: multiscale simulations combining molecular dynamics and the finite element method

• Yash Jain,
• Saeed Norouzi,
• Tobias Materzok,
• Stanislav N. Gorb and
• Florian Müller-Plathe

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2055–2076, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.141

• microscopy (AFM) experiments. Our investigation into how gecko keratin interacts with hydrophilic and hydrophobic substrates [12] supported the importance of the water-mediating effect [10] and elucidated mechanistic differences depending on surface chemistry. A particle-based mesoscale model of a single

• , and hydrophobic substrate at a loading rate of 1.88 × 1012 pN/s. We also examined adhesion forces and quantified spatula–substrate contacts, while comparing with qualitative and quantitative experimental results where available. We synchronously simulated 16 spatula–substrate contact sites via

• work [11]. These spatula models were coupled to the FE seta in two orthogonal orientations as shown in Figure 5 and Figure 2b. Smooth substrate We employed a simple particle-based model of a nonpolar (hydrophobic), smooth substrate as a baseline to remain consistent with the previously validated

Stereodiscrimination of guests in chiral organosilica aerogels studied by ESR spectroscopy

• Sebastian Polarz,
• Yasar Krysiak,
• Martin Wessig and
• Florian Kuhlmann

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2034–2054, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.140

• particularly interesting result was that better performance could be achieved if one attaches bulky, hydrophobic groups directly to the stereocenter. The effect of such neighboring groups on the enantioselectivity highly depends on the distance they have to the stereocenter. Keywords: chirality; confinement

• -AlaNH10oSil and, thus, a material containing a hydrophobic environment around the stereocenter. Characterization data are shown in Supporting Information File 1, Figure S9. Chiral spin probes in achiral hosts The enantiomerically pure nitroxides are not commercially available. Therefore, 3CP was prepared

• effects The choice of solvent is obviously a way to activate the difference in the interaction potentials. The latter reflects how one performs chromatography, which typically uses a gradient of solvents. Often, one starts with a hydrophobic solvent, and then the polarity of the mobile phase becomes more