Novel ZnO:Ag nanocomposites induce significant oxidative stress in human fibroblast malignant melanoma (Ht144) cells

• Syeda Arooj,
• Samina Nazir,
• Akhtar Nadhman,
• Nafees Ahmad,
• Bakhtiar Muhammad,
• Ishaq Ahmad,
• Kehkashan Mazhar and
• Rashda Abbasi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 570–582, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.59

• .6.59 Abstract The use of photoactive nanoparticles (NPs) such as zinc oxide (ZnO) and its nanocomposites has become a promising anticancer strategy. However, ZnO has a low photocatalytic decomposition rate and the incorporation of metal ions such as silver (Ag) improves their activity. Here different

• . The NPs were investigated with regard to their different photocatalytic cytotoxic effects in human malignant melanoma (HT144) and normal (HCEC) cells. The ZnO:Ag nanocomposites killed cancer cells more efficiently than normal cells under daylight exposure. Nanocomposites having higher Ag content (10

• nanocomposites were further analyzed with regard to their ability to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and induce lipid peroxidation. The particles led to an increase in levels of ROS at cytotoxic concentrations, but only HT144 showed strongly induced MDA level. Finally, NPs were investigated for the ROS

Silica micro/nanospheres for theranostics: from bimodal MRI and fluorescent imaging probes to cancer therapy

• Shanka Walia and
• Amitabha Acharya

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 546–558, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.57

• multimodal imaging probes for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and optical imaging are the most popular and interesting, since they provide high spatial resolution (MRI) and allow for a rapid screening of the disease site (optical imaging) simultaneously. But such hybrid nanocomposites have certain

• (negative contrast, modified T2). Similarly the fluorescent CAs includes different lanthanide complexes, rare earth oxides, organic dyes, QDs, and ruthenium complexes. In this review article, we summarize recent literature reports on multifunctional nanocomposites for MRI and fluorescence imaging that are

• chemically modified with different targeting agents for a specific delivery of these nanocomposites. 2.1 Lanthanide complexes as both magnetic and fluorescent probe The electronic and magnetic properties of the lanthanide complexes are governed by 4f electrons. In some of the lanthanide complexes, the

Structural, optical, opto-thermal and thermal properties of ZnS–PVA nanofluids synthesized through a radiolytic approach

• Alireza Kharazmi,
• Nastaran Faraji,
• Roslina Mat Hussin,
• Elias Saion,
• W. Mahmood Mat Yunus and
• Kasra Behzad

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 529–536, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.55

• be a good choice for preparing colloidal suspensions due to its significant advantageous such as processability and high transmittance [8]. Various physical and chemical routes have been used to synthesize these nanocomposites such as microwave irradiation [9], chemical synthesis [10], sputtering [11

• conductivity and thermal effusivity of the samples were measured by transient hot wire (THW) and photoacoustic technique, respectively. The thermal conductivity of the ZnS–PVA nanocomposites was measured by a Decagon devices KD2 Thermal analyzer where the transient line heat source is used to determine the

Tunable white light emission by variation of composition and defects of electrospun Al₂O₃–SiO₂ nanofibers

• Jinyuan Zhou,
• Gengzhi Sun,
• Hao Zhao,
• Xiaojun Pan,
• Zhenxing Zhang,
• Yujun Fu,
• Yanzhe Mao and
• Erqing Xie

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 313–320, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.29

• preparation processes, which can be effectively tuned and controlled by doping [1][2][3][4]. Thus far, in order to achieve enhanced and stable light emission, various materials have been incorporated into a SiO2 matrix, such as Si nanocrystals, carbon nanocomposites, ZnO, Al2O3, SnO2, and various rare-earth

• ]. From the above referenced work, it can be seen that the mechanism of this defect-dominant PL still remains ambiguous, and it is also a challenge to obtain the desired white luminescent material by control the different defects. Moreover, to date, few studies have reported on Al2O3–SiO2 nanocomposites

Chemoselective silicification of synthetic peptides and polyamines

• Maryna Abacilar,
• Fabian Daus and
• Armin Geyer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 103–110, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.10

• , it is not our intension to advertise for NMR as a substitute for classical silica precipitation experiments but as a fast, rich in information, and fail-proof additional method for the identification of in vitro conditions for the development of synthetic silica nanocomposites. The better organic

Size-dependent density of zirconia nanoparticles

• Agnieszka Opalinska,
• Iwona Malka,
• Wojciech Dzwolak,
• Tadeusz Chudoba,
• Adam Presz and
• Witold Lojkowski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2015, 6, 27–35, doi:10.3762/bjnano.6.4

• wealth of potential applications in the fields of catalysis [1][2], restorative dentistry, high temperature ceramics [3][4], polymer nanocomposites [5][6] and sensors [7]. The characteristics of nanoscale ZrO2 (including the mechanical, electrical, chemical, as well as catalytic properties) differ from

Two-dimensional and tubular structures of misfit compounds: Structural and electronic properties

• Tommy Lorenz,
• Jan-Ole Joswig and
• Gotthard Seifert

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 2171–2178, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.226

• slightly positive (see Figure 5 in [44]). SiOx-coated carbon nanotubes In 2002, carbon–SiOx-based nanocomposites were synthesized [27][28]. Although these structures differ significantly from the discussed misfit compounds, the two host lattices adjust and the mechanical strain is reduced by a spontaneous

Biopolymer colloids for controlling and templating inorganic synthesis

• Laura C. Preiss,
• Katharina Landfester and
• Rafael Muñoz-Espí

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 2129–2138, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.222

• ] demonstrated the synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles in a semi-interpenetrating polymer network of alginate and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide). Gold and AuNi alloy gelatin nanocomposites were developed by Brayner et al. [84]. A gelatin network incorporating metallic nanoparticles was obtained after reduction of

Carbon nano-onions (multi-layer fullerenes): chemistry and applications

• Juergen Bartelmess and
• Silvia Giordani

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1980–1998, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.207

• accomplished by annealing the CNO-C16 material at 415 °C, which was supported by Raman spectroscopy. CNO composites In addition to the previously mentioned BODA-based CNO nanocomposites [30] and polymer-functionalized CNOs prepared by a [2 + 1] cycloaddition of nitrenes [33], several other CNO-containing

Towards bottom-up nanopatterning of Prussian blue analogues

• Virgile Trannoy,
• Marco Faustini,
• David Grosso,
• Sandra Mazerat,
• François Brisset,
• Alexandre Dazzi and
• Anne Bleuzen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1933–1943, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.204

• monolayers fabricated through sol–gel chemistry were used to grow isolated particles of Prussian blue analogues (PBA). The elaboration of the TiO2/CoFe PBA nanocomposites involves five steps. The samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), infrared

• the elaboration process. Experimental Synthesis of the TiO2/PBA nanocomposite The five steps involved in the fabrication of the PBA/TiO2 nanocomposites are the following [15]: In a first step, the silicon substrate is covered by a gold layer by sputtering under vacuum in a sputter coater (Quorum

• are concentrated in the areas with gold at the bottom of the nanoperforations, whereas the areas without gold are almost completely free of PBA particles (Figure S3 in Supporting Information File 1). TiO2/PBA nanocomposites Microscopy study The TiO2/CoFe PBA nanocomposite NC01 synthesized by using MHA

A study on the consequence of swift heavy ion irradiation of Zn–silica nanocomposite thin films: electronic sputtering

• Compesh Pannu,
• Udai B. Singh,
• Dinesh. C. Agarwal,
• Saif A. Khan,
• Sunil Ojha,
• Ramesh Chandra,
• Hiro Amekura,
• Debdulal Kabiraj and
• Devesh. K. Avasthi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1691–1698, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.179

• film. The process of size-dependent electronic sputtering of Zn is explained on the basis of an inelastic thermal spike model. The possibility of direct cluster emission is explained by pressure spike built inside the track, initiated by a temperature spike. Keywords: ion irradiation; nanocomposites

• plasmon resonance [1], fast optical response [2], and superparamagnetism [3], strongly depend on shape, size, size distribution and the surrounding environment of the metal nanoparticles [4]. Thus, the properties of nanocomposites can be controlled by the variation of these parameters. Swift heavy ion

Current state of laser synthesis of metal and alloy nanoparticles as ligand-free reference materials for nano-toxicological assays

• Christoph Rehbock,
• Jurij Jakobi,
• Lisa Gamrad,
• Selina van der Meer,
• Daniela Tiedemann,
• Ulrike Taylor,
• Wilfried Kues,
• Detlef Rath and
• Stephan Barcikowski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1523–1541, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.165

• made with nanocomposites and do not necessarily apply to colloidal nanoparticles. Furthermore, it could be demonstrated that the cytotoxicity of AuAg alloy nanoparticles is likewise affected by the presence of surface ligands [148]. Here, citrate reduced cytotoxic and antimicrobial effects, while they

Microstructural and plasmonic modifications in Ag–TiO₂ and Au–TiO₂ nanocomposites through ion beam irradiation

• Venkata Sai Kiran Chakravadhanula,
• Yogendra Kumar Mishra,
• Venkata Girish Kotnur,
• Devesh Kumar Avasthi,
• Thomas Strunskus,
• Vladimir Zaporotchenko,
• Dietmar Fink,
• Lorenz Kienle and
• Franz Faupel

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1419–1431, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.154

• fabrication techniques of plasmonic nanocomposites with specific properties is an ongoing issue in the plasmonic and nanophotonics community. In this paper we report detailed investigations on the modifications of the microstructural and plasmonic properties of metal–titania nanocomposite films induced by

• been investigated in detail by transmission electron microscopy studies, which showed interesting changes in the titania matrix. Additionally, interesting modifications in the plasmonic absorption behavior for both Au–TiO2 and Ag–TiO2 nanocomposites were observed, which have been discussed in terms of

• ion beam induced growth of nanoparticles and structural modifications in the titania matrix. Keywords: noble metal–titania nanocomposite; surface plasmon resonance; swift heavy ions; Introduction Metal nanoparticles embedded in dielectric matrices in the form of nanocomposites have gained

An insight into the mechanism of charge-transfer of hybrid polymer:ternary/quaternary chalcopyrite colloidal nanocrystals

• Parul Chawla,
• Son Singh and
• Shailesh Narain Sharma

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1235–1244, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.137

• surface of ternary/quaternary (CISe/CIGSe/CZTSe) chalcopyrite nanocrystallites passivated by tri-n-octylphosphine-oxide (TOPO) and tri-n-octylphosphine (TOP) and compared their charge transfer characteristics in the respective polymer: chalcopyrite nanocomposites by dispersing them in poly(3

• attractive candidate for hybrid solar cells applications. Keywords: chalcopyrites; charge-transfer; hybrid organic-inorganic; nanocomposites; P3HT; Introduction Organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices composed of polymer matrices can be regarded as promising third-generation solar cells amongst emerging PV

• this class of materials with polymers such as high absorption coefficient (~105 cm−1), high reproducibility, high efficiencies and good stability [8][9][10] in comparison to the other inorganic–organic nanocomposites based devices. The superior characteristic properties of chalcopyrite based

Nanoporous composites prepared by a combination of SBA-15 with Mg–Al mixed oxides. Water vapor sorption properties

• Amaury Pérez-Verdejo,
• Alvaro Sampieri,
• Heriberto Pfeiffer,
• Mayra Ruiz-Reyes,
• Juana-Deisy Santamaría and
• Geolar Fetter

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 1226–1234, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.136

• particular suitability of these materials as target materials depends on their composition, micro or nanostructure, porosity, acid-base character or biocompatibility [1]. The synthesis of nanocomposites can be achieved in a variety of different ways, such as nanocasting or self-assembling templates [2][3

• , washed with distilled water, and dried in an oven at 70 °C. The nanocomposites materials were prepared by combining suitable amounts of SBA-15 with a Mg–Al nitrated hydrotalcite to obtain composite materials with a 80/20 wt % ratio. The first procedure hereafter referred to as the post-synthesis method

Functionalized nanostructures for enhanced photocatalytic performance under solar light

• Liejin Guo,
• Dengwei Jing,
• Maochang Liu,
• Yubin Chen,
• Shaohua Shen,
• Jinwen Shi and
• Kai Zhang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 994–1004, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.113

• be achieved for Cd0.5Zn0.5S/TNTs nanocomposites [34]. The QE at 420 nm over the nanocomposites reached 38.1% without loading any cocatalyst. Meanwhile, except for the greatly reduced toxicity by using Zn2+ instead of Cd2+ (Cd content, 4.0 wt %), Cd0.5Zn0.5S/TNTs also showed a good stability for

Growth and characterization of CNT–TiO₂ heterostructures

• Yucheng Zhang,
• Ivo Utke,
• Johann Michler,
• Gabriele Ilari,
• Marta D. Rossell and
• Rolf Erni

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 946–955, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.108

• transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques with a focus on the TiO2–CNT material system. The mechanisms of efficiency enhancement for photocatalysis by using the ensemble are reviewed. Methods to fabricate nanocomposites consisting of CNTs and metal/metal oxides are surveyed. In particular, an atomic

• interface using EELS are also discussed. Review Photocatalysis using TiO2–CNT Among all the nanocomposites consisting of CNTs and metal/metal oxides, CNT–TiO2 has attracted most research interest because of its unique properties and potential applications such as photocatalysis, especially since the recent

• the recent progress achieved in these areas is reviewed here. ALD growth of CNT–TiO2 Many methods have been developed to fabricate CNT–metal/metal oxide nanocomposites. For CNT–TiO2, the methods that are mostly adopted are sol–gel and hydrothermal deposition. A good summary of the synthesis methods

Nanostructure sensitization of transition metal oxides for visible-light photocatalysis

• Hongjun Chen and
• Lianzhou Wang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 696–710, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.82

• –hole pairs. Then, if coupled with a transition metal oxide, the photogenerated electrons can be easily transferred from the CB minimum of the photosensitizer or LUMO to that of a transition metal oxide. Thus the efficient charge separation in the metal oxide-photosensitizer nanocomposites facilitates

• identical measurement conditions [101]. The reduced graphene oxide (RGO) can act as a photosensitizer similar to organic dyes in the ZnS–RGO nanocomposites, which subsequently leads to efficient visible-light driven photoactivity for both the aerobic selective oxidation of alcohols and the epoxidation of

Enhanced photocatalytic activity of Ag–ZnO hybrid plasmonic nanostructures prepared by a facile wet chemical method

• Sini Kuriakose,
• Vandana Choudhary,
• Biswarup Satpati and
• Satyabrata Mohapatra

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 639–650, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.75

• summarized as follows [29][30] and are schematically illustrated in Figure 8. Yin et al. [41] prepared nanocomposites with Ag nanoparticle decorated ZnO nanorods with a core–shell structure by seed-mediated method. They have shown that Ag–ZnO is a better photocatalyst than ZnO because, firstly, the

• nanocomposites have a larger surface area as compared to ZnO, which leads to enhanced adsorption of dye. Secondly, due to the decoration of ZnO with Ag nanoparticles, the recombination of electrons and holes are inhibited. Gao et al. [42] synthesized Ag–ZnO nanocomposites by a biomolecule assisted hydrothermal

Preparation of poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone)-stabilized ZnO colloid nanoparticles

• Tatyana Gutul,
• Emil Rusu,
• Nadejda Condur,
• Veaceslav Ursaki,
• Evgenii Goncearenco and
• Paulina Vlazan

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 402–406, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.47

• with PVP as stabilizer. Experimental Synthesis of colloidal ZnO solutions and nanocomposites The following chemical were used in the synthesis processes: zinc acetate Zn(Ac)2·H2O (Aldrich, 99%); KOH (Aldrich, 99.0%); poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) PVP10, MS = 10,000 (Aldrich, 99%); methanol 99.9%; ethanol

Dye-sensitized Pt@TiO₂ core–shell nanostructures for the efficient photocatalytic generation of hydrogen

• Jun Fang,
• Lisha Yin,
• Shaowen Cao,
• Yusen Liao and
• Can Xue

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 360–364, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.41

• -ray diffractometer (Cu Kα radiation) with a scanning speed of 2°/min in the 2θ range from 20 to 80°. Diffuse reflectance UV–vis spectra were acquired on a Lambda 750 UV–vis–NIR spectrophotometer (Perkin Elmer, USA). The morphology of the Pt@TiO2 nanocomposites were investigated by field emission

Exploring the retention properties of CaF₂ nanoparticles as possible additives for dental care application with tapping-mode atomic force microscope in liquid

• Matthias Wasem,
• Joachim Köser,
• Sylvia Hess,
• Enrico Gnecco and
• Ernst Meyer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2014, 5, 36–43, doi:10.3762/bjnano.5.4

• , the solubility of the nanocomposites at a certain pH value and their adhesion strength to the tooth enamel upon application. The solubility of CaF2 has already been investigated by titration methods with respect to the pH-dependent fluoride release [27]. In this study we focus on exploring the

Preparation of NiS/ZnIn₂S₄ as a superior photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution under visible light irradiation

• Liang Wei,
• Yongjuan Chen,
• Jialin Zhao and
• Zhaohui Li

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2013, 4, 949–955, doi:10.3762/bjnano.4.107

• Liang Wei Yongjuan Chen Jialin Zhao Zhaohui Li Research Institute of Photocatalysis, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Photocatalysis–State Key Laboratory Breeding Base, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350002, P. R. China 10.3762/bjnano.4.107 Abstract In this study, NiS/ZnIn2S4 nanocomposites were

• quantum efficiency of 51.3% at 420 nm was obtained in this system. Later on, several other reports have also reported the using of NiS as a co-catalyst for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution [40][41][42]. Herein, we reported the preparation of NiS/ZnIn2S4 nanocomposites via a two-step hydrothermal method

• and its application for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution under visible light irradiation. It was found that NiS can be an effective co-catalyst for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution over ZnIn2S4. The as-prepared NiS/ZnIn2S4 nanocomposites showed superior photocatalytic performance for hydrogen

Influence of particle size and fluorination ratio of CF_x precursor compounds on the electrochemical performance of C–FeF₂ nanocomposites for reversible lithium storage

• Ben Breitung,
• M. Anji Reddy,
• Venkata Sai Kiran Chakravadhanula,
• Michael Engel,
• Christian Kübel,
• Annie K. Powell,
• Horst Hahn and
• Maximilian Fichtner

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2013, 4, 705–713, doi:10.3762/bjnano.4.80

• Inorganic Chemistry, Engesserstrasse 15, D-76128 Karlsruhe, Germany 10.3762/bjnano.4.80 Abstract Systematical studies of the electrochemical performance of CFx-derived carbon–FeF2 nanocomposites for reversible lithium storage are presented. The conversion cathode materials were synthesized by a simple one

• materials have been used as conducting matrix as well as to buffer the volume changes. Various methods have been described in the literature to synthesize carbon–metal fluoride nanocomposites. For example, carbon–iron fluoride nanocomposites, which show superior electrochemical performance during the

• between CFx and Fe(CO)5 to produce graphitic carbon–FeF2 nanocomposites at 250 °C, was developed recently [37]. Fe(CO)5 evaporates at 103 °C [38] and decomposes at temperatures above 120 °C [39]. In this way atomic sized Fe(0) nuclei are generated. These Fe(0) particles obviously react inside the CFx

A facile synthesis of a carbon-encapsulated Fe₃O₄ nanocomposite and its performance as anode in lithium-ion batteries

• Raju Prakash,
• Katharina Fanselau,
• Shuhua Ren,
• Tapan Kumar Mandal,
• Christian Kübel,
• Horst Hahn and
• Maximilian Fichtner

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2013, 4, 699–704, doi:10.3762/bjnano.4.79

• strategies, such as carbon coatings [7], carbon core–shells [8], nanocomposites [9], nanostructures [10], or nano-encapsulation [11], have recently been explored to circumvent this problem. These strategies apply various synthetic methods [12] such as hydrothermal, coprecipitation, microemulsion, sol–gel

• cycles. Further experiments are underway to check its extended stability and capacity retention behaviour. We believe that this method opens a simple way for producing carbon encapsulated metal oxide nanocomposites for energy storage, catalysis, and magnetic applications. XRD pattern and Raman spectrum