Facile fabrication of luminescent organic dots by thermolysis of citric acid in urea melt, and their use for cell staining and polyelectrolyte microcapsule labelling

• Nadezhda M. Zholobak,
• Anton L. Popov,
• Alexander B. Shcherbakov,
• Nelly R. Popova,
• Mykhailo M. Guzyk,
• Valeriy P. Antonovich,
• Alla V. Yegorova,
• Yuliya V. Scrypynets,
• Inna I. Leonenko,
• Alexander Ye. Baranchikov and
• Vladimir K. Ivanov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1905–1917, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.182

• solubility, outstanding biocompatibility, resistance to photobleaching, chemical inertness and excellent suitability for biological applications (one- and multiphoton bioimaging [9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16], biosensorics [9][10][11][12][17] and biomolecules/drug delivery [12][13][15]). Since the discovery

Chitosan-based nanoparticles for improved anticancer efficacy and bioavailability of mifepristone

• Huijuan Zhang,
• Fuqiang Wu,
• Yazhen Li,
• Xiping Yang,
• Jiamei Huang,
• Tingting Lv,
• Yingying Zhang,
• Jianzhong Chen,
• Haijun Chen,
• Yu Gao,
• Guannan Liu and
• Lee Jia

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1861–1870, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.178

• mechanism of action. However, application of MIF is limited by its poor water solubility and low oral bioavailability. In this work, we developed a drug delivery system based on chitosan nanoparticles (CNs) to improve its bioavailability and anticancer activity. The MIF-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (MCNs

• with abnormal morphology, which resulted in decreased EE and DL. The pH value of the TPP solution is the most important factor affecting EE and DL of MCNs. The MCNs presented the best EE and DL with a pH 7. This implied better stability and solubility of MIF in neutral pH conditions. The optimum

• study The in vitro release study of MIF from MCNs was performed in PBS buffer solutions at pH 7.4 or pH 2.5 to simulate the different pH conditions of the gastrointestinal system [31][32]. To enhance the solubility of MIF, 1% of ethanol was added to the incubation medium. The samples were taken out of

A new approach to grain boundary engineering for nanocrystalline materials

• Shigeaki Kobayashi,
• Sadahiro Tsurekawa and
• Tadao Watanabe

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1829–1849, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.176

• alloy [3] reported by other researchers. The state of the supersaturated solid solution in as-electrodeposited Ni–4.4 mass % P alloy specimens was confirmed, although the Ni–P phase diagram [65] indicates that the solubility limit of phosphorus into nickel matrix is 0.17 mass %. Accordingly, the Ni3P

• in nanocrystalline materials [67]. It should be noted that the P composition strongly affects the hardness of nanocrystalline Ni. In as-electrodeposited Ni–4.4 mass % P alloy specimens, P atoms mostly segregate at grain boundaries, because of the low solubility limit (0.17 mass %) of P atoms in the

Functionalized platinum nanoparticles with surface charge trigged by pH: synthesis, characterization and stability studies

• Giovanna Testa,
• Laura Fontana,
• Iole Venditti and
• Ilaria Fratoddi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1822–1828, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.175

• functionalizing layer around MNPs is of primary relevance; in fact, not only solubility but also optical properties and reactivity are strongly dependent on the external layer surrounding the MNPs [13]. The functionalization of MNPs determines their interaction with the external environment and affects their

Effective intercalation of zein into Na-montmorillonite: role of the protein components and use of the developed biointerfaces

• Ana C. S. Alcântara,
• Margarita Darder,
• Pilar Aranda and
• Eduardo Ruiz-Hitzky

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1772–1782, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.170

• detergents [16][18][19]. The solubility is attributed to the non-polar amino acid residues of the protein, such as valine, leucine, proline, isoleucine, alanine, and phenylalanine, which confer a hydrophobic character to the protein [16]. Therefore, a good knowledge of structural and solubility properties of

Numerical investigation of depth profiling capabilities of helium and neon ions in ion microscopy

• Patrick Philipp,
• Lukasz Rzeznik and
• Tom Wirtz

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1749–1760, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.168

• of the nanoparticles below the surface. Their formation is observed for concentrations of the implanted species beyond the solubility limit. For most polymers, nucleation starts at 1016 ions/cm2 and at very high fluences a worm-like structure can start to form. However, not all implanted metal atoms

Hydrophilic silver nanoparticles with tunable optical properties: application for the detection of heavy metals in water

• Paolo Prosposito,
• Federico Mochi,
• Erica Ciotta,
• Mauro Casalboni,
• Fabio De Matteis,
• Iole Venditti,
• Laura Fontana,
• Giovanna Testa and
• Ilaria Fratoddi

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1654–1661, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.157

• synthesis AgNPs were synthesized by wet reduction, using sodium borohydride as a reducing agent and 3-mercapto-1-propanesulfonic acid sodium salt as a capping agent. The water solubility of the thiol induces a strongly hydrophilic character with respect to the nanoparticles, which present the sulfonate

Influence of hydrothermal synthesis parameters on the properties of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles

• Sylwia Kuśnieruk,
• Jacek Wojnarowicz,
• Agnieszka Chodara,
• Tadeusz Chudoba,
• Stanislaw Gierlotka and
• Witold Lojkowski

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1586–1601, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.153

• occurrence of the aforementioned elements affects the activity of bone-cell-related enzymes. The introduction of Mg2+ and CO32− ions causes a decrease in the size of crystals and an increase in solubility. The high reactivity of bone apatite is a result of low crystallinity. The reactivity is reflected in

• of crystalline structure defects, caused by calcium ion vacancies, increases, diminishing material stability, and as a result, enhancing its solubility [20][21]. A range of various methods have been developed in order to produce HAp powder, among others, combustion preparation [22], and numerous wet

False positives and false negatives measure less than 0.001% in labeling ssDNA with osmium tetroxide 2,2’-bipyridine

• Anastassia Kanavarioti

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1434–1446, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.135

• ascertain a “perfect” match between intact and osmylated, generally speaking “labeled” nucleic acid, so that sequencing of the labeled nucleic acid can accurately reproduce the sequence of the target polymer. These properties, defined elsewhere [26], include: (i) high solubility in water/electrolyte, (ii

• equivalent 15.75 mM of 2,2’-bipyridine. The solubility tests in water were performed visually using weighted amounts of 2,2’-bipyridine, and its solubility was estimated at about 21 mM at room temperature. The solubility of 2,2’-bipyridine was also tested in solutions with increasing concentration of OsO4

Three-gradient regular solution model for simple liquids wetting complex surface topologies

• Sabine Akerboom,
• Marleen Kamperman and
• Frans A. M. Leermakers

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1377–1396, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.129

• are found by setting the second and third derivatives of the free energy density (Equation 5) with respect to the volume fraction of liquid to zero. From such analysis it is found that there is a solubility gap as soon as χ > χcr = 2. By symmetry the critical density φcr = 1/2. Liquid/vapour interface

• -called adsorption isotherms. Of course we need a solubility gap and thus χ > 2 (we use a value of 2.2 throughout). Next, we consider a specific value of χS < 0 and specify a given amount of solvent in the system. We solve the self-consistent field equations and obtain the optimised density profile φ(z

Mesoporous hollow carbon spheres for lithium–sulfur batteries: distribution of sulfur and electrochemical performance

• Anika C. Juhl,
• Artur Schneider,
• Boris Ufer,
• Torsten Brezesinski,
• Jürgen Janek and
• Michael Fröba

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1229–1240, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.114

• solubility of the lithium polysulfides (Li2Sx, 3 ≤ x ≤ 8) formed as intermediate products during charge and discharge in the commonly used organic electrolytes. The dissolved polysulfides shuttle between the cathode and anode and cause the deposition of insoluble Li2S2 and Li2S on both upon further reduction

Tunable longitudinal modes in extended silver nanoparticle assemblies

• Serene S. Bayram,
• Klas Lindfors and
• Amy Szuchmacher Blum

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1219–1228, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.113

• methods in initiating small assemblies, larger-scale assemblies have not yet been achieved, perhaps due to the relatively large linker molecules utilized, which might restrict the nanoparticles mobility due to size and solubility matters. Interestingly though, such assemblies can be reversible, and can be

Preparation of alginate–chitosan–cyclodextrin micro- and nanoparticles loaded with anti-tuberculosis compounds

• Albert Ivancic,
• Fliur Macaev,
• Fatma Aksakal,
• Veaceslav Boldescu,
• Serghei Pogrebnoi and
• Gheorghe Duca

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1208–1218, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.112

• precipitate in the lungs. At the same time, particles with diameters above 5.0 μm are mainly retained in the oropharynx [13]. The addition of cyclodextrins to the microparticles results in (i) an increase of stability, solubility, and bioavailability of the active compounds in the complex; this has been

In situ characterization of hydrogen absorption in nanoporous palladium produced by dealloying

• Eva-Maria Steyskal,
• Christopher Wiednig,
• Norbert Enzinger and
• Roland Würschum

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1197–1201, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.110

• potential-assisted dealloying [5] has been studied recently with regards to actuation upon electrochemical hydrogenation [4] as well as hydrogen solubility from the gas phase [6]. In the present study np-Pd is produced by electrochemically dealloying a Co–Pd master alloy and investigated upon

• for a dealloyed material so far. This variation is not only significantly higher than predicted by literature data for bulk Pd [7], according to which an approximately linear variation of only about 3.5% would be expected at this concentration, but also exceeds the maximum hydrogen solubility as well

Reasons and remedies for the agglomeration of multilayered graphene and carbon nanotubes in polymers

• Rasheed Atif and
• Fawad Inam

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1174–1196, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.109

• surfactant solution. The reactions involved are carried out in argon atmosphere [117]. A typical disorder band in Raman spectrum gives proof of the sidewall functionalization. This sidewall functionalization not only improves purity and solubility, but it also changes the physical properties. In fact, the

Role of solvents in the electronic transport properties of single-molecule junctions

• Katharina Luka-Guth,
• Sebastian Hambsch,
• Andreas Bloch,
• Philipp Ehrenreich,
• Bernd Michael Briechle,
• Filip Kilibarda,
• Torsten Sendler,
• Dmytro Sysoiev,
• Thomas Huhn,
• Artur Erbe and
• Elke Scheer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 1055–1067, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.99

• suitable solvents for the study of single-molecule junctions of organic molecules. Of course other criteria, as for instance the solubility of the molecules, the probability with which a stable molecular contact can be formed, the long-time stability of the contacts, or the lifetime of Au MCBJs when

Thickness dependence of the triplet spin-valve effect in superconductor–ferromagnet–ferromagnet heterostructures

• Daniel Lenk,
• Vladimir I. Zdravkov,
• Jan-Michael Kehrle,
• Günter Obermeier,
• Aladin Ullrich,
• Roman Morari,
• Hans-Albrecht Krug von Nidda,
• Claus Müller,
• Mikhail Yu. Kupriyanov,
• Anatolie S. Sidorenko,
• Siegfried Horn,
• Rafael G. Deminov,
• Lenar R. Tagirov and
• Reinhard Tidecks

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 957–969, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.88

• solubility of Nb in Cu is extremely small under ambient conditions, the Nb–Ni phase diagram shows a certain solubility of Nb in Ni and vice versa [69]. In this case the bilayer with the thinnest Cu41Ni59 layer would show the largest reduction of mat. However, the opposite is observed. There may be several

Assembling semiconducting molecules by covalent attachment to a lamellar crystalline polymer substrate

• Rainhard Machatschek,
• Patrick Ortmann,
• Renate Reiter,
• Stefan Mecking and
• Günter Reiter

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 784–798, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.70

• silicon substrate was immersed half-way in the solution. Continuous evaporation of the solvent increased the polymer concentration, leading eventually to local super-saturation, i.e., locally the concentration was above the solubility limit. At the three phase contact line, i.e., at the line where

• formation of (partially) crystalline perylene islands. According to published values, the energy that perylene molecules gain by crystallization is rather high [25][35], consistent with the poor solubility of molecule 1 and corresponding tendency to crystallize in solution. Thus, it seems plausible that

• observed by AFM. However, after longer grafting times (e.g., after three days) islands of 1 molecules formed percolating pathways on the crystal surface. We note that the π–π stacking energy of perylene molecules is rather high [25], consistent with a high melting point and poor solubility of the resulting

Facile synthesis of water-soluble carbon nano-onions under alkaline conditions

• Gaber Hashem Gaber Ahmed,
• Rosana Badía Laíño,
• Josefa Angela García Calzón and
• Marta Elena Díaz García

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 758–766, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.67

• discovered before the former [1]. C-dots are a special class of carbon nanoparticles that have interesting practical advantages such as low toxicity, relatively small size (≤10 nm), chemical stability, high solubility in water and easy synthesis. Besides, owing to their remarkable photoluminescence (PL

Hierarchical coassembly of DNA–triptycene hybrid molecular building blocks and zinc protoporphyrin IX

• Rina Kumari,
• Sumit Singh,
• Mohan Monisha,
• Sourav Bhowmick,
• Anindya Roy,
• Neeladri Das and
• Prolay Das

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 697–707, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.62

• in aqueous media. This limitation could be overcome by functionalization of triptycene molecules with materials having excellent water solubility and functional properties such as DNA. The non-covalent interaction of triptycene derivatives with DNA has been investigated [32][33][34][35]. However, the

Comparison of the interactions of daunorubicin in a free form and attached to single-walled carbon nanotubes with model lipid membranes

• Dorota Matyszewska

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 524–532, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.46

• dissolved in the subphase, on which monolayers of DPPTE were formed. In case of DNR attached to carbon nanotubes, it was impossible to dissolve the carbon nanotube adducts in the subphase due to their insufficient solubility in water. Therefore, the mixed layers composed of DPPTE and SWCNTs-DNR adduct were

Determination of the compositions of the DIGM zone in nanocrystalline Ag/Au and Ag/Pd thin films by secondary neutral mass spectrometry

• Gábor Y. Molnár,
• Shenouda S. Shenouda,
• Gábor L. Katona,
• Gábor A. Langer and
• Dezső L. Beke

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 474–483, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.41

• the above saturation values in Ag/Au and Ag/Pd nanocrystalline thin film systems having complete mutual solid solubility at low temperatures (regime i)). Experimental Nanocrystalline Ag(15 nm)/Au(15 nm)/substrate, Au(15 nm)/Ag(15 nm)/substrate, Ag(15 nm)/Pd(15 nm)/substrate, Pd(15 nm)/Ag(15 nm

• should be increased by 0.045, which is close to the experimental uncertainty of these values. Although the value of ΔQ will then be smaller, it remains within the error bars given above. In principle one would expect at fixed temperatures, in systems having complete solid solubility (such as the systems

Influence of calcium on ceramide-1-phosphate monolayers

• Joana S. L. Oliveira,
• Gerald Brezesinski,
• Alexandra Hill and
• Arne Gericke

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 236–245, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.22

• measured at 30 °C is clearly shifted to smaller area values, most probably due to a slightly increased solubility of C1P in this subphase. Infrared reflection–absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS) has been used to determine the phase state of the aliphatic chains on the different subphases. For this purpose, the

Characterisation of thin films of graphene–surfactant composites produced through a novel semi-automated method

• Nik J. Walch,
• Alexei Nabok,
• Frank Davis and
• Séamus P. J. Higson

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 209–219, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.19

• π-systems facilitated their solubility in chloroform, hence the use of the Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) technique (Nima 610 trough) was an obvious choice for the deposition of thin films. The standard LB procedure was applied [8]: a 1 mg·mL−1 solution of graphene(+)CTAB in chloroform was spread onto the

Synthesis and applications of carbon nanomaterials for energy generation and storage

• Marco Notarianni,
• Jinzhang Liu,
• Kristy Vernon and
• Nunzio Motta

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 149–196, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.17