Nanoglasses: a trail towards uncharted regions of vitreous materials and their properties?

• Gerhard Wilde and
• Horst Hahn

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 1047–1062, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.72

• has always been closely tied to the continuous development of new and improved materials. From the earliest stages of material use, humans learned to modify the structure and composition of materials to enhance their performance and expand their applications. While chemical modifications play a key

• by altering the specific volume and/or the local atomic structure via various processes, including deformation, irradiation, or heat treatment. The magnitude of the changes that can be permanently induced in glasses far exceeds the corresponding modifications achievable in crystalline material of

• important to emphasize that the combination of properties found in glasses with such glass–glass interfaces distinguishes them from all known interfaces in crystalline materials. Given the correlation between excess volume and interatomic interaction potential, significant changes in nearly all material

Vibration-induced dynamic structural superlubricity on MoS₂/Au(111) under ultrahigh vacuum

• Shuyu Huang,
• Yiming Song,
• Antoine Hinaut,
• Gema Navarro-Marín,
• Antonio Cammarata,
• Ernst Meyer and
• Thilo Glatzel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 1039–1046, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.71

• Prague 6, Czech Republic 10.3762/bjnano.17.71 Abstract Achieving rapid and flexible control of friction across different material surfaces is of great significance and remains a longstanding challenging goal in modern tribology. Here, we demonstrate dynamic structural superlubricity in monolayer MoS2

• expected to vanish at infinitely slow relative speeds due to thermal activation [3][7]. It works only within specific low-speed regimes, and elevated temperatures can lead to local material softening or accelerated degradation and oxidation of the sliding interface. By leveraging structural engineering

• dissipation and accelerate material oxidation and wear [19]. Alongside these approaches, mechanical excitation offers a distinct advantage as a universal method for friction regulation [20][21][22]. Unlike electrical approaches, mechanical actuation does not require conductive contacts and can be applied to a

Synthesis and characterization of RF-sputtered ZnTe/Cu_2−xTe thin films for solar cell applications

• Gerardo Arreola Jardón,
• Susana Meraz Dávila,
• Claudia Elena Pérez García,
• Aime Margarita Gutiérrez Peralta and
• Sergio Joaquín Jiménez Sandoval

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 1016–1027, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.69

• incorporation and the formation of conductive Cu-rich secondary phases, yielding a biphasic system composed of semiconducting ZnTe and conductive Cu-rich telluride phases. These material properties suggest potential relevance for future studies of back-contact materials in CdTe-based solar cells. Keywords

• ), which allows for the absorption of nearly 99% of incident sunlight within a thickness of approximately 1 µm. These intrinsic optoelectronic properties enable efficient light harvesting while reducing material consumption compared to conventional crystalline silicon technologies [1][2]. As a result, CdTe

• -based modules have achieved certified power conversion efficiencies exceeding 21% at the industrial level, demonstrating the technological maturity of this material system [3]. Despite these advances, further improvements in device efficiency, long-term stability, and cost reduction remain critical

Ultrasonic irradiation in the synthesis of nanohydroxyapatite: a chemically friendly technique for improving hemocompatibility and antibiofilm applications

• Juan Mendoza Turmero,
• Cristina Parra Pantoja,
• Marcos Sabino Gutiérrez,
• Milagro Fernández-Delgado,
• Claudia Alvarado-Castillo,
• Damarys Soto Gil,
• María E. Gomes Gomes,
• Yony Gutiérrez Barrios and
• Daniel Suárez Arteaga

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 991–1015, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.68

• , further diversifying its multiple applications [23]. Some studies have also shown that synthesis parameters such as the type of solvent, ultrasonic irradiation time, and the nature of the reactants used as nHA precursors, directly influence the microstructure of the resulting material [24]. Due to the

• determination via the BET method Figure 8 shows the morphology obtained by FESEM for the nHA obtained after 15 min of UI in the three solvent mixtures described above. Hydroxyapatite in W/ACET: This material consists of aggregates of spherical particles ranging in size from 60 to 70 nm. The arrangement is

• nHA exhibits a high potential to be classified as non-hemolytic according to the ASTM standard F756-00 [84], which defines three levels of material hemolytic potential, namely, non-hemolytic (<2% hemolysis), slightly or mildly hemolytic (2–5% hemolysis), and highly hemolytic (>5% hemolysis). These

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

• on the specific chemical profile of the raw material used. Future investigations should incorporate multiple batches and establish correlations between chemical composition and biological activity to strengthen the translational relevance of the research. In vitro release kinetics studies are highly

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

• explored for online water monitoring (Figure 1). Each sensor type differs in its transduction mechanism, structural configuration, and material composition, which ultimately influence its analytical performance, stability, and ease of integration into autonomous systems [22]. Potentiometric sensors

• widely used material, which provides a large interfacial capacitance and excellent potential stability. (2) Redox (faradaic) transduction uses redox-active materials in which reversible electron-transfer reactions buffer potential changes, for example ferrocene-doped conducting polymers whose Fe2+/Fe3

• (EG-FETs). In MOSFET-based devices, the gate terminal, typically a metal or another conductive material, is coated with an insulating layer, often the corresponding metal oxide, and the semiconductor channel is exposed to the solution. A gate voltage is externally applied perpendicular to the channel

Enhanced erosion resistance and radiation stability of WC–WO₃ nanocomposite films under 100 keV Kr⁺ ion irradiation

• Shristi Bist,
• Parswajit Kalita,
• Ratnesh K. Pandey,
• Sejal Shah,
• Richa Krishna,
• Umapathy G. R.,
• Sunil Ojha and
• Devesh K. Avasthi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 922–934, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.65

• /bjnano.17.65 Abstract Plasma-facing components (PFCs) in fusion reactors are exposed to extreme radiation and thermal environments, leading to material degradation processes such as sputtering erosion and amorphization. This study investigates and compares the erosion behaviour of tungsten (W) in

• experimental sputtering trends. Furthermore, preferential sputtering of lower-Z elements (C and O) was observed in both material systems. Glancing incidence X-ray diffraction analysis revealed post-irradiation grain growth in WC–WO3 films, while scanning electron microscopy results show morphological changes

• combination of hardness and resistance to wear, corrosion, and radiation makes WC a critical material for advanced structural and protective coating applications, including cutting tools, wear-resistant coatings, and plasma-facing components in fusion reactors [7][8][9]. It is being investigated for

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

He⁺ FIBID-fabricated 3D AFM tip architectures: an exploratory study of hollow pillars, helices, and spirals

• Alba Arroyo-Fructuoso,
• Ana Galet,
• Gregor Hlawacek and
• Rosa Córdoba

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 863–871, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.62

• , tip–sample convolution, mechanical stability, and, ultimately, the reliability of the measured signal. For this reason, the fabrication of non-conventional AFM probes has attracted increasing interest, particularly in the context of focused-beam nanomanufacturing, where the geometry and material

• ][16][17][18][19], or tungsten-based precursors [20][21]. The resulting probes can be attractive because they allow for site-specific growth directly on the cantilever and can, in principle, combine tailored geometry with functional material properties. For instance, cobalt- and iron-based deposits

• developed, including both in situ and ex situ approaches [22][24][26][27][28][29][30][31]. While these methods can significantly improve material purity and functional properties, their application to AFM tips requires particular consideration. In tip-based applications, post-deposition treatments may alter

Light-driven ammonia electrooxidation via carbon nitride–ruthenium molecular interfaces

• Jan Holub and
• Pablo Jiménez-Calvo

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 854–862, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.61

• , nanoparticles, and carbon supports) are manufactured into electrodes or serve as the electrode itself, industrially scalable, but with poorly understood active sites and inactive bulk material [1][2][3][4][5]. In practice, however, bridging these two families is not straightforward. A homogeneous catalyst

• organisation principle: Efficient photochemistry requires the light-generated charge carriers to be separated at an interface and driven to specific catalytic sites before they recombine. Achieving these two principles in a synthetic, scalable, and inexpensive material is the central aspiration, if not the

• material is a two-dimensional polymer composed of heptazine (tri-s-triazine) or s-triazine building block units linked by tertiary amines into extended graphitic sheets, with a bandgap of approximately 2.7 eV with optical absorption onset at 460 nm (Figure 2b), firmly within the visible range of the solar

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

• , mechanical properties, and surface composition that need to be considered in the design of the nanoparticles. The choice of core material plays a pivotal role in defining the physicochemical properties, release behavior, biocompatibility, and clinical feasibility of nanoparticle formulations. Various

• material classes have been explored for HIV PrEP applications, each offering unique advantages and limitations depending on the route of administration, duration of action, and drug type. In this review, we focus on nanoparticle delivery platforms for PrEP. To better understand the landscape of

• nanoparticle-based HIV prophylaxis delivery strategies, we have broadly categorized existing platforms into four main categories based on their core material (Figure 1). (1) Polymeric nanoparticles: These nanoparticles are designed from biodegradable polymers such as poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA

Sustainable fabrication of 2D-based devices through reuse of substrates with microfabricated electrodes

• Ying Zhang,
• Yigit Sozen,
• Esteban Zamora-Amo,
• Thomas Pucher,
• Nuria Jiménez-Arévalo,
• Zdenek Sofer,
• Yong Xie and
• Andres Castellanos-Gomez

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 818–827, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.58

• signatures of the transferred 2D material, retain a largely homogeneous surface-potential distribution, and preserve comparable electrical performance after reuse. By extending the lifetime of pre-patterned chips, this approach can reduce substrate consumption and lower the cost of 2D device prototyping

• reliable method for cleaning and reusing these devices would be valuable for achieving more cost-effective 2D material-based device fabrication. Several recent studies have explored substrate reuse strategies to mitigate fabrication costs and improve sustainability in device prototyping [16][17][18]. For

• the substrate surface, allowing for their application in reusable biosensors [21]. A different approach to reuse the substrates was reported by Paupy et al. by developing wafer-scale detachable monocrystalline germanium nanomembranes for III–V material growth and substrate reuse, significantly

Glycerol photoelectrochemical oxidation reaction at carbon nitrides/BiVO₄ materials

• Charles Garcia da Cunha,
• Isabelle M. D. Gonzaga,
• Cristian Hessel,
• Izadora F. Reis,
• Ivo F. Teixeira,
• Lucia H. Mascaro and
• Elton Sitta

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 806–817, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.57

• hydrogen electrode (RHE) upon glycerol addition. Clearly, the type of nitride employed in the heterojunctions influences the activity of the material for glycerol oxidation, with the photocurrent at 1.23 V vs RHE following the order: PCN/BiVO4 > BiVO4 ≈ PHI-Cs/BiVO4 > PHI-K/BiVO4 ≈ PHI-Na/BiVO4 > PTI(Li

• water oxidation reaction, as well as the material stability at the anodes, must be overcome for this technology to be successfully transferred to end users [5]. To address these issues, several efforts have been made to develop efficient catalysts to improve the kinetics of the water oxidation reaction

• been pointed out as a promising material, as it presents high chemical stability and a wide absorption range of solar radiation [8][9][10]. To overcome the limitations associated with the low electrical conductivity of BiVO4, sluggish surface kinetics and the recombination of electron–hole pairs [11

Tuning the electronic properties of defect-rich MoS₂

• Eric Juriatti,
• Martina Binninger,
• Carolin Schüle,
• Maren Zirwick,
• Katarina Margetic,
• Erika Giangrisostomi,
• Marcus Scheele and
• Heiko Peisert

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 796–805, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.56

• structural defects significantly affect the electronic properties of the material. The present study utilizes angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES) and surface-sensitive core-level spectroscopy (SXPS, XAS) with synchrotron radiation to investigate the interfaces between defect-rich MoS2 and

Substrate-dependent pore formation in molybdenum disulfide monolayers under ion irradiation

• Yossarian Liebsch,
• Umair Javed,
• Lucia Skopinski,
• Leon Daniel,
• Franziska Appel,
• Radia Rahali,
• Clara Grygiel,
• Henning Lebius,
• Carolin Frank,
• Lars Breuer,
• Leon Kirsch,
• Frieder Koch,
• Jani Kotakoski and
• Marika Schleberger

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 769–780, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.54

• formation have largely focused on suspended 2D materials [13][25][28][29], practical applications typically require the 2D material to be supported by a substrate. Direct investigation of ion-irradiated supported 2D materials, however, remains experimentally challenging for several reasons. For example

• supported samples that suggested pronounced topographic changes but could not resolve the defect structure [40][41], our STEM analysis shows that irradiation on SiO2 produces well-defined, pore-shaped defects with no obvious long-range lattice distortion of the surrounding material (see Supporting

• of the target 2D material, independent of the materials electronic properties. In the case of this study, we therefore expect to deliver potential energy in the range of ≈12–36 keV to the monolayer. Linking the charge exchange to pore formation, Grossek et al. [44] introduced a model for nanopore

Tailoring Ag–Pt nanoalloys through solid-state dewetting: structural and optical insights

• Marcin Łapiński,
• Piotr Okoczuk,
• Blaž Grobiša,
• Ewa Pawlikowska,
• Amelia Rozwadowska,
• Wojciech Sadowski and
• Barbara Kościelska

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 748–759, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.52

• partial sublimation or evaporation of the material at 700 °C. Similar triangular flakes have been previously reported during the formation of, for example, Ag [48], MoS2 [49], or WS2 [50]. Additionally, the chemical composition of the nanostructures manufactured at 700 °C was measured by EDS. The spectrum

• systematically adjusting the elemental composition, we achieved controlled modulation of the plasmonic band position [25]. On the other hand, in the Ag–Cu system, the material behaved as a nanocomposite, with two clearly distinguishable resonance peaks attributable to the individual components [26]. From Figure

Environmental applications of silver nanoparticles: state-of-the-art review and emerging trends

• Soni Prajapati,
• Akash Kumar and
• Ranjana Singh

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 697–736, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.49

• used as an adsorbent material for removing Nile blue dye, with 94% of the dye being removed within 60 min [27]. Caravaca et al. used magnetic nanoparticles coated with AgNPs for amoxicillin removal from water, where 100% removal was achieved at different nanocomposite concentrations [28]. The removal

• . Nanosilver has emerged as a promising material for water treatment, offering efficient and cost-effective solutions for removing, monitoring, and disinfecting water sources [71]. Nanosilver’s catalytic and antimicrobial properties make it a highly efficient material in treating water pollutants. 3.1.1

• [146]. Nanosilver has emerged as a promising material for air purification and atmospheric remediation owing to its strong photocatalytic, antimicrobial and adsorbing properties. Nanosilver is often used in air filters and coatings to remove VOCs, PAHs, PM, and other contaminants. 3.2.1 Air

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

• polymer matrices that closely mimic natural recognition entities [2]. MIP technology is a strategy specifically designed to mold selective binding sites in a material through a template-assisted synthesis [3]. The specific recognition is achieved through a polymer synthesis that occurs in the presence of

• the desired molecule, which acts as a template. As a result, binding cavities with stereochemical complementarity to the molecular targets are formed in the nascent material. Particular interest was triggered by the possibility of preparing nanosized MIPs, such as MIP nanoparticles, abbreviated either

• building blocks, whereas structural organization emerges at the material level through entanglement and packing. The resulting constructs exhibit defined shapes and three-dimensional architectures, whose collective and emergent properties may be described within the framework of protein-based metamaterials

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

• successfully incorporated into electrospun polymeric nanofibers. Optimization of the material composition revealed that polycaprolactone (PCL), an FDA- and EMA-approved, biodegradable, easily accessible, and cost-efficient polymer, doped with BODIPY at a concentration of only 0.15 wt %, is an efficient

• -scale industrialized production of membrane filters [40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49]. We optimized electrospinning conditions and material composition using three different polymers, namely, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), polycaprolactone (PCL), and polystyrene (PS), doped with various

• Staphylococcus aureus. Experimental Materials BODIPY photocatalyst 1 was already available from our previous studies [34]. The purity of the material was confirmed by a repeated measurement of the 1H NMR spectrum (Figure S1, Supporting Information File 1). Cimetidine, ranitidine, and propranolol were purchased

Cellulose as a photocatalyst support material: extraction, structural features, and environmental applications

• Yee Teng Lim,
• Nur Farhana Jaafar,
• Azizul Hakim Lahuri and
• Endang Tri Wahyuni

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 635–652, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.44

• promising candidate for sustainable material development across various industries. This review focuses on the extraction and isolation of cellulose from different types of biomass waste, including agricultural residues, forestry byproducts, and industrial waste. Several conventional and advanced methods

• cellulose’s structural properties and photocatalytic functionality offers a green and efficient solution to pressing environmental challenges. Overall, this review underscores the importance of cellulose not only as a raw material but also as an active component in next-generation, eco-friendly photocatalytic

• chemical properties [5]. Cellulose occurs naturally in cotton and wood, where it has long provided essential resources for clothing and shelter. Also, through chemical and mechanical processing, pulp fibers can be extracted from these sources to serve as the primary raw material for paper production. Pulp

Two-step laser synthesis of Ag@TiO₂ nanomaterials for the photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B

• Marija Kovačević,
• Miloš Tošić,
• Rafaela Radičić,
• Vladimir Rajić,
• Nikša Krstulović,
• Miloš Momčilović and
• Sanja Živković

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 622–634, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.43

• the most extensively studied photocatalyst owing to its exceptional chemical stability, earth‐abundance, low cost, and benign (non‐toxic) nature [1][2][3]. These attributes, along with its strong oxidative power and high refractive index, make TiO2 an attractive and versatile material for UV–vis

• ). The photocatalytic degradation of RhB without a photocatalyst was minimal after 300 min of exposure to UV irradiation using a 300 W Osram Ultra-Vitalux lamp. Similar results were obtained for PLAL TiO2 nanoparticles. These results are correlated to the amount of the ablated material in these three

• molecules. Together, these effects allow the 2000p material to use light more effectively and degrade RhB faster than the 200p sample. Furthermore, the difference in efficiency between the 200p and 2000p NPs samples confirms the importance of controlling the number of laser pulses to optimize the structure

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

• groundwork for the present review. Homojunctions focus on constructing continuous band bending and Fermi level gradients within the same material system using methods such as doping, surface reconstruction, or orientation induction, thereby smoothly extending the BEF from the interface into the bulk. Their

• introduce additional internal potential gradients within the material, thereby increasing the driving force for charge carrier separation and transport [87]. They also help mitigate common failure mechanisms such as nonradiative recombination and ion migration. However, the practical impact of polarization

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

• can be targeted to the area of interest, even if the material itself may also reach other areas. Endogenous stimuli are characteristics of the targeted site that distinguish it from the healthy tissue, such as the lower pH or lower oxygen content of certain tumor areas [15]. External stimuli include

Probing tribological evolution in atomically thin MoS₂ at different scales

• Xingzhong Zeng and
• Miao Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 586–597, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.40

• -nanoscale stick–slip motion and reduces slip distance. Furthermore, the load-dependent sub-nanoscale stick–slip motion is closely correlated with changes in tip–MoS2 contact area and contact geometry, both modulated by load and MoS2 layer thickness. These findings advance 2D material tribology from the

• loads. We experimentally determined the sub-nanoscale stick–slip motion and quantified its dependence on load and layer thickness. The corresponding mechanisms were proposed to explain the friction behaviors. This work bridges the gap between MD simulations and experiments, advancing 2D material

• advance the understanding of 2D material tribology from the nanoscale to the sub-nanoscale, providing a framework for predicting and controlling friction in atomically thin materials. The load-layer thickness phase diagram for MoS2 friction behaviors offers critical guidance for the development of low

Impacts of annealing on structural and photophysical properties of zinc phthalocyanine adsorbed on graphene

• Gautier Creutzer,
• Quentin Fernez,
• Nataliya Kalashnyk,
• Zohreh Safarzadeh,
• Lydia Sosa Vargas,
• Céline Fiorini-Debuisschert,
• Nicolas Fabre and
• Fabrice Charra

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 576–585, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.39

• formation towards 3D self-assembly. Keywords: graphene; optical spectroscopy; organic semiconductors; phthalocyanine; scanning tunneling microscopy; self-assembly; Introduction Combining the properties of graphene and molecular semiconductors in a given material organized at the molecular scale appears as