Missing links in nanomaterials research impacting productivity and perceptions

• Santosh K. Tiwari and
• Nannan Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2168–2176, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.149

• , other 2D nanomaterials, such as elemental 2D materials (e.g., borophene, phosphorene, and silicene), transition metal dichalcogenides (e.g., MoS2, WS2, and NbSe2), transition metal oxides (e.g., MnO2, Fe2O3, and Ni(OH)2 nanosheets), MXenes (e.g., Ti3C2, Ti2C, and Ta4C3), 2D halides (e.g., CrI3, NiI2

• nanotubes, graphene, metal oxides, quantum dots, and MXenes are among the most extensively studied and explored nanomaterials. These materials have been researched in nearly every discipline, leading to the establishment of numerous startups and companies focused on their production, processing, and

• , though nanomaterials research has made impressive scientific advances, its translation into mass-market products remains partial. Therefore, it raises a vital and valid question: Why are heavily researched nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, metal oxides, quantum dots, and MXenes still so

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

• the most prevalent mechanisms in nanomaterials to eliminate MPs, where metal oxides and carbon materials are particularly effective. Surface modification and environmental factors are crucial in controlling removal. 6.3 Tailoring nanomaterials for low-temperature, high-UV environments The Himalayan

Current status of using adsorbent nanomaterials for removing microplastics from water supply systems: a mini review

• Nguyen Thi Nhan and
• Tran Le Luu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1837–1850, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.127

• functionality can be adjusted by changing the metal oxides and linkers, enabling easy synthesis and modification for diverse applications, including MP adsorption [59]. By using ZIF-8 nanocomposite, Pasanen et al. removed 99% of MPs after 1 h. The properties of nanocomposites showed highly porous structures

Nanotechnology-based approaches for the removal of microplastics from wastewater: a comprehensive review

• Nayanathara O Sanjeev,
• Manjunath Singanodi Vallabha and
• Rebekah Rubidha Lisha Rabi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1607–1632, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.114

• various nanoenabled treatment strategies such as adsorption, photocatalysis, and membrane filtration using materials like metal-organic frameworks, carbon-based nanomaterials, MXenes, and metal oxides. It also highlights recent innovations such as microrobotic systems and AI-assisted detection frameworks

• solution into a gel, enabling precise compositional control and producing homogenous metal oxides suited for photocatalytic applications [74]. Hydrothermal synthesis uses high-temperature, high-pressure aqueous environments to yield well crystalized particles with controlled morphologies, while co

• contaminated with MPs. Meanwhile, a higher cost of these adsorbents limit their use for the removal of MPs [82]. Research is actively exploring alternative adsorbents, with a particular focus on nanomaterial-based options. Among these, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), nanoscale metals, nanocomposites, and metal oxides

Transient electronics for sustainability: Emerging technologies and future directions

• Jae-Young Bae,
• Myung-Kyun Choi and
• Seung-Kyun Kang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1545–1556, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.109

• has prompted further exploration of chemically analogous materials, such as germanium [45][46], silicon–germanium alloys [45], amorphous semiconductors [45], indium–gallium–zinc oxide (IGZO) [47], and metal oxides such as zinc oxide [48], for their potential as bioresorbable semiconductors. These

Laser processing in liquids: insights into nanocolloid generation and thin film integration for energy, photonic, and sensing applications

• Akshana Parameswaran Sreekala,
• Pooja Raveendran Nair,
• Jithin Kundalam Kadavath,
• Bindu Krishnan,
• David Avellaneda Avellaneda,
• M. R. Anantharaman and
• Sadasivan Shaji

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1428–1498, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.104

• , indicating an increase in particle size [76]. Laser irradiation offers a clean, efficient, and useful method for synthesizing various nanomaterials, including metals, semiconductors, metal oxides, and bimetallic NPs [46][77][78][79][80][81][82]. The process allows for the alloying of NPs, such as AuCo [77

Crystalline and amorphous structure selectivity of ignoble high-entropy alloy nanoparticles during laser ablation in organic liquids is set by pulse duration

• Robert Stuckert,
• Felix Pohl,
• Oleg Prymak,
• Ulrich Schürmann,
• Christoph Rehbock,
• Lorenz Kienle and
• Stephan Barcikowski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1141–1159, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.84

• heterogeneous catalysts, colloids are more flexible as the support material is not predefined by the synthesis route but can be freely chosen. This may be highly relevant as previous studies report on the facile supporting of laser-generated NPs onto multiple carrier materials such as carbon [33][34][35], metal

• oxides [36][37], or metal electrodes [38][39], using electrostatic [37], diffusive [40], or electrophoretic [39] pathways. Additionally, in contrast to form-in-place-methods such as CTS [20], the NP size does not depend on the loading [40]. Nanoparticle generation by laser synthesis and processing of

Soft materials nanoarchitectonics: liquid crystals, polymers, gels, biomaterials, and others

• Katsuhiko Ariga

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 1025–1067, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.77

• . Liquid crystal nanoarchitectonics is not merely concerned with the manipulation of liquid crystal structures; it also encompasses the transfer of such structures to alternative materials, thereby influencing their nanostructure [238][239][240]. Metal oxides of earth-abundant elements are of significant

• beneficial to extend the findings of this study to explore the nanoarchitectonics of other mesoporous metal oxides in electrocatalytic electrodes. Additionally, there are nanoarchitectonics examples that couple liquid crystal structure control with other functions, such as catalysis. Mavrikakis, Abbott, and

Structural and magnetic properties of microwave-synthesized reduced graphene oxide/VO₂/Fe₂O₃ nanocomposite

• Sumanta Sahoo,
• Ankur Sood and
• Sung Soo Han

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 921–932, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.70

• graphite oxide to form rGO, the reduction of V2O5 to form VO2, and the formation of Fe2O3 from ferrocene. X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses confirm the formation of distinct metal oxides in the presence of rGO. Furthermore, the morphological analysis reveals the deposition of

• , such spherical particles of the metal oxides are also deposited on the edges of the graphene sheets (Figure 6d). The corresponding elemental mapping further demonstrates the presence of elements such as V, O, and C in the GV (Figure 6e–h). Additionally, the EDX spectrum also confirms the presence of

• rGO. Additionally, the high-resolution XPS spectrum of C 1s represents a major peak at 284.5 eV, corresponding to the C=C/C–C bond, and a minor peak at 284 eV corresponding to the C–H bond of rGO (Figure 7e). Therefore, XPS analysis confirms the presence of distinct metal oxides and rGO in the GVF

Insights into the electronic and atomic structures of cerium oxide-based ultrathin films and nanostructures using high-brilliance light sources

• Paola Luches and
• Federico Boscherini

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 860–871, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.65

• ; Introduction Transition metal oxides in the form of thin films or nanostructures find extensive use in sustainable energy technologies [1][2]. They serve as active materials or supports for catalysts for various chemical reactions, essential to energy conversion, sensing, and environmental remediation [3][4

• dynamic processes occurring for example upon photoexcitation. Among transition metal oxides, cerium oxide (or ceria) has unique redox properties, linked to the relative stability of Ce cations in the 4+ and 3+ oxidation states, which make the material highly effective in automotive catalysts and in the

Facile one-step radio frequency magnetron sputtering of Ni/NiO on stainless steel for an efficient electrode for hydrogen evolution reaction

• Ha Huu Do,
• Khac Binh Nguyen,
• Phuong N. Nguyen and
• Hoai Phuong Pham

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 837–846, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.63

• fabricated metal/metal oxide-based nanomaterials using various solution-based methods for alkaline HER because of the efficacy of metal oxides in breaking water molecules. In this context, Ni/NiO-based nanomaterials were evaluated as promising catalysts for industrial applications because of their Gibbs free

Emerging strategies in the sustainable removal of antibiotics using semiconductor-based photocatalysts

• Yunus Ahmed,
• Keya Rani Dutta,
• Parul Akhtar,
• Md. Arif Hossen,
• Md. Jahangir Alam,
• Obaid A. Alharbi,
• Hamad AlMohamadi and
• Abdul Wahab Mohammad

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 264–285, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.21

• four distinct generations [52], each shedding light on the mechanisms of various photocatalysts used for pollutant degradation, namely, single-component transition metal oxides (TMOs) representing the first generation, doped TMOs, binary TMOs, and doped binary TMOs as the second generation, and

• , including biochar, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), functionalized mesoporous silica, porous organic polymers, zeolite, and derivatives of graphene. These substances act as a support for metal oxides and immobilize the catalyst, increase the catalyst surface area, and improve the chemical stability

• significant photocatalytic activity in the degradation of antibiotics; they are given below in Table 3. Bismuth metal oxides such as Bi2WO6, Bi2MO6, BiVO4, and Bi2Ti2O7 are also gaining attention for their possible use in antibiotic degradation. The hybrid oxides mostly comprise Bi2O3 and various metal oxides

The round-robin approach applied to nanoinformatics: consensus prediction of nanomaterials zeta potential

• Dimitra-Danai Varsou,
• Arkaprava Banerjee,
• Joyita Roy,
• Kunal Roy,
• Giannis Savvas,
• Haralambos Sarimveis,
• Ewelina Wyrzykowska,
• Mateusz Balicki,
• Tomasz Puzyn,
• Georgia Melagraki,
• Iseult Lynch and
• Antreas Afantitis

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1536–1553, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.121

• reliable except the one NM sample whose leverage value was equal to 0.859. Random forest regression model Data preprocessing To facilitate data analysis, the unique string feature names of the chemical formula descriptors were converted into a binary variable. For this purpose, metal oxides (e.g., CeO2 and

Electrochemical nanostructured CuBTC/FeBTC MOF composite sensor for enrofloxacin detection

• Thi Kim Ngan Nguyen,
• Tien Dat Doan,
• Huy Hieu Luu,
• Hoang Anh Nguyen,
• Thi Thu Ha Vu,
• Quang Hai Tran,
• Ha Tran Nguyen,
• Thanh Binh Dang,
• Thi Hai Yen Pham and
• Mai Ha Hoang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1522–1535, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.120

• capacity, and an acceptable efficacy of the electron transfer, Cu3(BTC)2 exhibited a good sensitivity to 2,4-dichlorophenol in the range from 0.04 to 1.00 μM with a limit of detection (LOD) of 9 nM in differential pulse voltammetry measurements. Moreover, the combination of metal oxides and MOFs showed better

Mn-doped ZnO nanopowders prepared by sol–gel and microwave-assisted sol–gel methods and their photocatalytic properties

• Cristina Maria Vlăduț,
• Crina Anastasescu,
• Silviu Preda,
• Oana Catalina Mocioiu,
• Simona Petrescu,
• Jeanina Pandele-Cusu,
• Dana Culita,
• Veronica Bratan,
• Ioan Balint and
• Maria Zaharescu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1283–1296, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.104

• of amorphous oxide nanopowders, the precipitation of nanocrystalline metal oxides, and the drying and thermal treatment of oxide films [23]. However, there has been comparatively less focus on studying chemical reactions in sol–gel solutions under microwave irradiation [24][25][26][27]. Numerous

Introducing third-generation periodic table descriptors for nano-qRASTR modeling of zebrafish toxicity of metal oxide nanoparticles

• Supratik Kar and
• Siyun Yang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 1142–1152, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.93

• range of substances that can be categorized as carbon-based, metal oxides, semiconductors, polymers, clays, emulsions, or metals [2]. Metal oxide nanoparticles (MONPs) are metallic oxides that exist within the nanoscale range and can be intentionally created or occur naturally [3]. Under the rapid

• ) of the zebrafish hatching enzyme (ZHE1) of 24 MONPs is utilized for the modeling study [33]. The experimental data (%EIzebrafish) ranged from −1.04 (Co3O4) to 44.72 (Cr2O3). Descriptor calculation Models were developed based on the fundamental properties of these metal oxides that can be obtained

Identification of structural features of surface modifiers in engineered nanostructured metal oxides regarding cell uptake through ML-based classification

• Indrasis Dasgupta,
• Totan Das,
• Biplab Das and
• Shovanlal Gayen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 909–924, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.75

• advancement of nanotechnology has led to the widespread utilization of engineered nanostructured metal oxides (ENMOs) in various industrial and biomedical applications [1]. Nanoparticles (NPs) are described by the International Organization for Standardization as structures characterized by one, two, or three

• line (e.g., 6, 9, and 15). Other descriptors including maxssO, maxHBd, maxdO, ndO, ndssC, and nHBDon_Lipinski contribute less to the cellular uptake of ENMOs in the U937 cell line. Conclusion Identifying the surface modifiers of engineered nanostructured metal oxides (ENMOs) that enhance affinity for

• modifiers of nanostructured metal oxides. This may facilitate a higher therapeutic response by surface modifier-mediated site-specific targeting to the cell surface receptors of particular cell types. Further availability of sufficient and reliable uptake data of ENMOs in other cell types is also needed for

A review on the structural characterization of nanomaterials for nano-QSAR models

• Salvador Moncho,
• Eva Serrano-Candelas,
• Jesús Vicente de Julián-Ortiz and
• Rafael Gozalbes

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 854–866, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.71

• common to find nano-QSAR models focused on groups of nanoforms that have different activity but are chemically homogeneous in their core, that is, which include NMs with the same or similar core composition (e.g., only nanotubes and fullerenes, or only metal oxides). One example is the use of the count

• toxicity of metal oxides using two parameters, namely, the experimentally measured concentration of the metal (expressed as a percentage) and the conduction band energy, which was calculated from different physicochemical constants and also from experimental measurements of zeta potential and diffuse

• worth to note that Pathakoti et al. [61] included the light exposure as a variable in their toxicity models of metal oxides versus E. coli, obtaining two series of toxicity data for the same set of NMs. Analogously, Basant and collaborators considered toxicity values measured under different light

Laser synthesis of nanoparticles in organic solvents – products, reactions, and perspectives

• Theo Fromme,
• Sven Reichenberger,
• Katharine M. Tibbetts and
• Stephan Barcikowski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 638–663, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.54

Aero-ZnS prepared by physical vapor transport on three-dimensional networks of sacrificial ZnO microtetrapods

• Veaceslav Ursaki,
• Tudor Braniste,
• Victor Zalamai,
• Emil Rusu,
• Vladimir Ciobanu,
• Vadim Morari,
• Daniel Podgornii,
• Pier Carlo Ricci,
• Rainer Adelung and
• Ion Tiginyanu

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 490–499, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.44

• metal oxides [1][9][10]. Metal oxides include TiO2, ZnO, Al2O3, WO3, Cu2O, CuO, SnO2, Fe2O3, Bi2O3, Ag3PO4, BiWO4, BiVO4, BiFeO3, and SeTiO3, while chalcogenides are represented by ZnS, ZnSe, CdS, PbS, CdSe, SnS2, and Bi2S3. Among porous semiconductor materials, recently developed super-lightweight ones

Classification and application of metal-based nanoantioxidants in medicine and healthcare

• Nguyen Nhat Nam,
• Nguyen Khoi Song Tran,
• Tan Tai Nguyen,
• Nguyen Ngoc Trai,
• Nguyen Phuong Thuy,
• Hoang Dang Khoa Do,
• Nhu Hoa Thi Tran and
• Kieu The Loan Trinh

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 396–415, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.36

• employ the properties of transition metals and metal oxides (e.g., cobalt, iron, cerium, and gold), which can generate a cycle of reduction and oxidation stages [20][21][22][23]. Among these metal oxides, cerium oxide-based nanomaterials have been deeply studied with regard to the mechanisms of CAT

Controllable physicochemical properties of WO_x thin films grown under glancing angle

• Rupam Mandal,
• Aparajita Mandal,
• Alapan Dutta,
• Rengasamy Sivakumar,
• Sanjeev Kumar Srivastava and
• Tapobrata Som

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 350–359, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.31

• . In this regard, radio frequency (rf) sputter deposition is one of the preferred choices as an industry-compatible method to grow WOx thin films [2][19][20][21]. Apart from thin films, nanostructured metal oxides generally possess superior electrochemical properties compared to their bulk counterparts

• reduced in nature. This explains the observed low work function values of the films, which are mainly due to the presence of a high concentration of OV in the same (see XPS results). Greiner et al. have pointed out that a higher work function can be achieved in metal oxides in fully oxidized form compared

Exploring the relationships between physiochemical properties of nanoparticles and cell damage to combat cancer growth using simple periodic table-based descriptors

• Joyita Roy and
• Kunal Roy

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 297–309, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.27

• well as in biological systems. Since the cell membrane is negatively charged, the interaction between NPs and cell membrane or organelles can be highly influenced by the zeta potential. There is an increased interest in integrating data on metal oxides in the field of nanotoxicology that would be able

• potential of the MeOx NPs in the cell damage dataset (dataset II), which lacks the zeta potential information (imputation of sparse data). The zeta potential was used as a descriptor in the model development along with the PT descriptors. Although the solvents used for testing metal oxides in both datasets

• using this simple tool. This means that we were able to make predictions for untested metal oxides with great confidence. QSPR model for zeta potential The zeta potential is the key parameter from the regulatory point and can directly affect the NPs’ behavior in solution and their interaction with

Influence of conductive carbon and MnCo₂O₄ on morphological and electrical properties of hydrogels for electrochemical energy conversion

• Sylwia Pawłowska,
• Karolina Cysewska,
• Yasamin Ziai,
• Jakub Karczewski,
• Piotr Jasiński and
• Sebastian Molin

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2024, 15, 57–70, doi:10.3762/bjnano.15.6

• the hydrogel contributes to the improvement of the electronic conductivity of weakly conductive electrocatalysts, such as metal oxides, ultimately affecting their catalytic efficiency and thus reducing the overpotential of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) process [46]. In this work, we suspended

Experimental investigation of usage of POE lubricants with Al₂O₃, graphene or CNT nanoparticles in a refrigeration compressor

• Kayhan Dağıdır and
• Kemal Bilen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2023, 14, 1041–1058, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.86

• refrigeration compressors are metal oxides and carbon-based nanoparticles [11][12]. It is emphasized that both kinds of nanoparticles have positive effects on system performance. Krishnan et al. [13]. examined the effects of addition of metal oxide nanoparticles of Al2O3, SiO2, ZrO2, and carbon-based

• reporting improvement in compressor performance are given in Table 1. Accordingly, it can be noted that the compressor energy consumption reduces mediately 30% with the use of nanolubricants. The literature shows that metal oxides and carbon-based nanoparticles are mainly preferred in nanolubricants used in