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

• ][11][12], which first demonstrated tip-induced electrochemical modification of semiconductor surfaces and even early device structures [13]. These STM works established the fundamental mechanism later adopted and expanded by AFM-based approaches. LAO utilizes an AFM to generate localized oxidation

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

• inactivate a wide range of microorganisms. Today, both silver and copper are widely used in various medical and healthcare applications due to their effective antimicrobial activity. For example, copper was found to be 99.9% efficient in inactivating microorganisms within the first two hours of contact [13

Multilayered hyperbolic Au/TiO₂ nanostructures for enhancing the nonlinear response around the epsilon-near-zero point

• Fernando Arturo Araiza-Sixtos,
• Mauricio Gomez-Robles,
• Rafael Salas-Montiel and
• Raúl Rangel-Rojo

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 251–261, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.17

• ], Ag/MgF2 [11], and Ag/Ti3O5 [12]. Gold-based systems have also been prominent, such as Au/Al2O3 [13][14][15], Au/SiO2 [16], Au/TiO2 [17], and optical filters based on Au/TiO2 multilayers [18]. Beyond classic metal–dielectric structures, research has explored ZnO/Al:ZnO [19] and doped semiconductors

Comparative study on 3D morphologies of delignified, single tracheids and fibers of five wood species

• Helen Gorges,
• Felicitas von Usslar,
• Cordt Zollfrank,
• Silja Flenner,
• Imke Greving,
• Martin Müller,
• Clemens F. Schaber,
• Chuchu Li and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 239–250, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.16

• secondary and tertiary wall structure, with varying distribution and concentration across these layers but the highest proportions generally found in the S2 and T layers (spruce earlywood: ML 26.8%, S1 10.4%, S2+T 62.8%; spruce latewood: ML 18.4%, S1 7.9%, S2+T 73.7%) [12][13]. Moreover, lignification plays

• , p < 0.001), directly followed by spruce (Table 1, Figure 6A). The diameters of delignified spruce and of all beech and all poplar samples were in similar ranges (approximately 13–29 µm; Table 1, Figure 6A). All p-values for statistically significant differences are provided in Supporting Information

Gold nanoparticle-decorated reduced graphene oxide as a highly effective catalyst for the selective α,β-dehydrogenation of N-alkyl-4-piperidones

• Brenda Flore Kenyim,
• Mihir Tzalis,
• Marilyn Kaul,
• Robert Oestreich,
• Aysenur Limon,
• Chancellin Pecheu Nkepdep and
• Christoph Janiak

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 218–238, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.15

• POMs, the latter trivacant species exhibits the highest Au-POM reactivity in the oxidative dehydrogenation of piperidone derivatives to the corresponding enaminones [13]. Through the oxygen atoms at its three vacant sites, SiW9 coordinates to gold metal atoms, forming strong interactions. Despite being

• graphene oxide (rGO) as an advanced carbon-based support, which provides unique electronic interactions with gold nanoparticles, and its comparison to AC and BC. The rGO support was not tested in the work by Xia et al. [13] where only activated carbon was used. Strong Au–rGO interfacial coupling should

• , the successful AuNP deposition on the carbon materials was validated through TEM imaging of Au-Cit/AC (Figure 5a), Au-Cit/rGO (Figure 5b), and Au-Cit/CB (Figure 5c). Upon deposition, the average AuNP particle sizes slightly grew to 13 nm within a range of 10–16 nm determined by TEM images and the

Micro- and nanoscale effects in biological and bioinspired materials and surfaces

• Thies H. Büscher,
• Rhainer Guillermo Ferreira,
• Manuela Rebora and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 214–217, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.14

• . These cover various different groups of organisms, such as animal functions in insects [12][13], polychaete worms [14], crustaceans [15], and geckos [16], and examine different functional aspects with particular technological interest including cleaning [12], adhesion [14][15][16], and structural

• coloration [13]. Piersanti et al. [12] described the functional morphology and material composition of the cleaning devices of a damselfly species and experimentally investigated their performance. This species bears specialized grooming structures on the tibiae of its forelegs with dedicated micro- and

• nanostructures aiding in efficient cleaning of the eyes and antennae of this insect to maintain sensory functions. Another insect study by Lopez et al. [13] investigated the ultrablack cuticle of a velvet ant using a range of microscopy methods and optical spectrometry providing structural and spectrometric

Time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry imaging of contaminant species in chemical vapour deposited graphene on copper

• Barry Brennan,
• Vlad-Petru Veigang-Radulescu,
• Philipp Braeuninger-Weimer,
• Stephan Hofmann and
• Andrew J. Pollard

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 200–213, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.13

• of the material and lead to a step change in terms of high speed [11][12][13], transparent [14] and flexible electronic devices [15], membranes [16][17], and sensors [18][19]. A large amount of work has been dedicated to the optimisation of the growth process to aid in the formation of large area

Structure-dependent thermochromism of PAZO thin films: theory and experiment

• Georgi Mateev,
• Dean Dimov,
• Nataliya Berberova-Buhova,
• Nikoleta Kircheva,
• Todor Dudev,
• Ludmila Nikolova,
• Elena Stoykova,
• Keehoon Hong,
• Dimana Nazarova,
• Silvia Angelova and
• Lian Nedelchev

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 186–199, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.12

• , optoelectronics, memory devices, and sensors [12]. The birefringence phenomenon results from multiple cycles of trans–cis–trans (E–Z–E) photoisomerization stimulated by the polarized light impact [13][14][15][16]. The E–Z–E transitions lead to an alignment of the photoreactive azo chromophores perpendicularly

Safe and sustainable by design with ML/AI: A transformative approach to advancing nanotechnology

• Georgia Melagraki

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 176–185, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.11

• (SSbD) framework, which integrates safety considerations throughout the nanomaterial lifecycle, from design to disposal [12][13][14]. The SSbD concept is closely aligned with the EC Joint Research Centre SSbD framework , the European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic) “Safe and Sustainable by Design

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

• biodistribution while protecting fragile biomolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids [11]. Through targeted and sustained release, these systems enhance therapeutic efficacy, prolong circulation, and reduce systemic toxicity compared to conventional formulations [12][13]. As illustrated in Figure 1

• therapeutic value. It also explores existing challenges and prospects to advance their translation into clinical cancer treatments. 2 Concept of charge-reversible nanocarriers Surface charge plays a vital role in the efficiency and functionality of nanocarriers used for drug delivery [13]. Among various

Influence of surface characteristics on the in vitro stability and cell uptake of nanoliposomes for brain delivery

• Dushko Shalabalija,
• Ljubica Mihailova,
• Nikola Geskovski,
• Andreas Zimmer,
• Otmar Geiss,
• Sabrina Gioria,
• Diletta Scaccabarozzi and
• Marija Glavas Dodov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 139–158, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.9

• especially in the context of brain-related disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, thus providing useful starting point for testing potential therapies and understanding disease mechanisms [12][13]. Hence, proper cell line selection and optimized experimental conditions help predicting in vivo

Capabilities of the 3D-MLSI software tool in superconducting neuron design

• Irina E. Tarasova,
• Nikita S. Shuravin,
• Liubov N. Karelina,
• Fedor A. Razorenov,
• Evgeny N. Zhardetsky,
• Aleksandr S. Ionin,
• Mikhail M. Khapaev and
• Vitaly V. Bol’ginov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 122–138, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.8

• developed that are able to simulate 3D superconducting circuits [9][10][11][12][13]. One of the most popular tools [14] is InductEx [9], which is based on the FastHenry engine [10] originally developed for conventional CMOS circuits [15]. In 2001, the 3D-MLSI software tool was presented [11], which is

• capable of extracting a three-dimensional magnetic field distribution and a planar current distribution by solving a system of integro-differential equations on a 2D grid. Recently, VoxHenry [12] and SuperVoxHenry [13] simulators were developed, which use voxel-based discretization as well as advanced

• % relative to the experimental data was reached for certain types of structures suitable for superconducting rapid single flux quantum (RSFQ) circuits [23][24]. In [13], a very good agreement was demonstrated for the newly proposed SuperVoxHenry simulator. In this article, we study the potential of the 3D

Development and in vitro evaluation of liposomes and immunoliposomes containing 5-fluorouracil and R-phycoerythrin as a potential phototheranostic system for colorectal cancer

• Raissa Rodrigues Camelo,
• Vivianne Cortez Sombra Vandesmet,
• Octavio Vital Baccallini,
• José de Brito Vieira Neto,
• Thais da Silva Moreira,
• Luzia Kalyne Almeida Moreira Leal,
• Claudia Pessoa,
• Daniel Giuliano Cerri,
• Maria Vitória Lopes Badra Bentley,
• Josimar O. Eloy,
• Ivanildo José da Silva Júnior and
• Raquel Petrilli

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 97–121, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.7

• potential application in cancer treatment, ranging from in vitro cell programmed death induction in the liver, lung, and gastric cancer cells [12] to in vivo reduction in nodule number and liver weight in rats [13]. In addition, R-PE also has a photosensitizing role that can be explored in photodynamic

• (ELS) techniques using the Zetasizer Nano ZS device (Malvern Instruments). The vesicle size and PDI were evaluated with noninvasive backscatter with an incidence angle of 173°, and the zeta potential was determined by the forward scatter (13°) ELS technique. The samples were diluted (1:200) in Milli-Q

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 analysis of the statue of Darius from Susa, in modern Iran [13]. The statue was found in Egypt in 1972, and was then transferred to Teheran, Iran. The paper by Shahrokh reveals how a combination of natural wear, such as erosion and structural stress, and anthropogenic damage, including the loss of

Microscopic study of the intermediate mixed state in intertype superconductors

• Vyacheslav D. Neverov,
• Alexander V. Kalashnikov,
• Andrey V. Krasavin and
• Alexei Vagov

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 57–62, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.5

• complex, irregular patterns that cannot be attributed to type-I or type-II behavior [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]. These patterns are referred to as intermediate mixed state (IMS) and are characterized by the coexistence of Meissner domains and vortex clusters, chains, or fragmented lattices

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

• bear microscopic epidermal filaments (microstructures) and are associated with modified musculature, bone morphology, and blood vessels [10][11][12][13][14]. This effective system allows geckos to adhere, despite being at the upper weight limit for organisms bearing adhesive toepads [15]. In geckos

• representing incipient toepads [13][35][36][37]. One long-standing candidate genus within which there are extant species expressing incipient toepads is Cyrtodactylus (Gray, 1842) [35]. Commonly referred to as bent-toed geckos or bow-fingered geckos, this genus currently exceeds 370 described species, making

• microstructure type to setae should function to improve traction for locomotion [3][7][22][72]. This might be a precursor to the elaboration of adhesive microstructures [7]. The sphaerodactylid Gonatodes humeralis (Guichenot, 1855) has also been demonstrated to bear incipient toepads [13][36]. Similar to the

Reduced graphene oxide paper electrode for lithium-ion cells – towards optimized thermal reduction

• Agata Pawłowska,
• Magdalena Baran,
• Stefan Marynowicz,
• Aleksandra Izabela Banasiak,
• Adrian Racki,
• Adrian Chlanda,
• Tymoteusz Ciuk,
• Marta Wolczko and
• Andrzej Budziak

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 24–37, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.3

• -ion batteries with Li4T5O12 and LiFePO4 active materials for the electrodes [13]. Chen et al. described current collectors based on rGO films [14]. Reduced graphene oxide finds further use in sodium-ion composite cathode materials as a conduction-improving agent with Prussian white as the active

Competitive helical bands and highly efficient diode effect in F/S/TI/S/F hybrid structures

• Tairzhan Karabassov,
• Irina V. Bobkova,
• Pavel M. Marychev,
• Vasiliy S. Stolyarov,
• Vyacheslav M. Silkin and
• Andrey S. Vasenko

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 15–23, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.2

• superconducting electronics [2][3][4]. So far, the superconducting diode effect has been reported in many different systems, including Josephson junctions [5][6][7][8][9][10][11], junction-free devices [12][13][14][15][16][17], superconducting microbridges [18][19], and other systems [20][21]. There have been

Quantitative estimation of nanoparticle/substrate adhesion by atomic force microscopy

• Aydan Çiçek,
• Markus Kratzer,
• Christian Teichert and
• Christian Mitterer

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2026, 17, 1–14, doi:10.3762/bjnano.17.1

• NPs and significantly enhancing their interfacial adhesion. Their mechanical stability was tested utilizing scanning probe microscopy nanomanipulation [12]. Another approach tested for SiO2 NPs was functionalizing their surfaces for improved adhesion on epoxy film-covered substrate surfaces [13]. In

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

• and non-biological applications. LNTs rely on the emission properties of a fluorophore and its thermal dependence to measure temperature changes, which can be measured as variations in the emission intensity [10][11][12][13] and lifetime [8][14][15][16], spectral shift [17], as well as intensity

• materials have been developed, including nanodiamonds [32], quantum dots [17][28], nanodots [11][13][33], fluorescent-based molecular systems [1][8][34], and lanthanide (Ln3+)-doped materials [10][35][36][37]. Among all these alternatives, lanthanide-doped materials offer a distinct advantage: upconversion

Terahertz-range on-chip local oscillator based on Josephson junction arrays for superconducting quantum-limited receivers

• Fedor V. Khan,
• Lyudmila V. Filippenko,
• Andrey B. Ermakov,
• Mikhail Yu. Fominsky and
• Valery P. Koshelets

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2296–2305, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.158

• terahertz range up to 2 mW and efficiency of approx. 5% [12]. However, these devices can be fabricated only in few laboratories around the world (e.g., JPL NASA) and may not be accessible in some countries. The other approach was suggested in previous works [13][14] where the LO based on the FFO is

• proven itself for many times both in laboratory and in real-life conditions. The terahertz SIS-mixer integrated on the same chip with the LO based on a flux-flow oscillator (FFO) and a receiving antenna [13] was used to study the irradiation of the human body [15], gas spectroscopy [16], and the

• about 1 min, and it is done after each thermal cycling [13]. Also, the ratio of the radiated power to the consumed DC power is slightly higher than 5%. Some of the aforementioned problems can be solved by the use of Josephson junction arrays as LO for the SIR. The junctions can be fabricated by the use

Improving magnetic properties of Mn- and Zn-doped core–shell iron oxide nanoparticles by tuning their size

• Dounia Louaguef,
• Ghouti Medjahdi,
• Sébastien Diliberto,
• Klaus M. Seemann,
• Thomas Gries,
• Joelle Bizeau,
• Damien Mertz,
• Eric Gaffet and
• Halima Alem

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2285–2295, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.157

• core provides a strong magnetic moment and the shell enhances magnetic anisotropy and stability. Core–shell NPs offer a pathway to improving SLP, SAR, and stability under physiological conditions [13]. The core–shell configuration allows for the tuning of magnetic properties through the choice of core

Visualizing nanostructures in supramolecular hydrogels: a correlative study using confocal and cryogenic scanning electron microscopy

• Shaun M. Smith,
• Ferdinando Malagreca,
• Jacqueline Hicks,
• Giuseppe Mantovani,
• David B. Amabilino,
• Christopher Parmenter and
• Lluïsa Pérez-García

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2274–2284, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.156

• [11]. Cryogenic scanning electron microscopy (cryo-SEM) bypasses many of these resolution limits by preserving the hydrogel through rapid freezing and subsequent fracture, thereby maintaining native-like morphology in the microscope in the form of a xerogel (no solvent) nature [12][13][14]. High

Geometry-controlled engineering of the low-temperature proximity effect in normal metal–superconductor junctions

• Munisa A. Tomayeva,
• Vyacheslav D. Neverov,
• Andrey V. Krasavin,
• Alexei Vagov and
• Mihail D. Croitoru

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2265–2273, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.155

• , the normal-metal coherence length, , where Dn is the electron diffusion coefficient and Tc is the critical temperature [8][9]. In a FM, the exchange field Eex further suppresses superconducting correlations, resulting in a shorter coherence length, [10][11][12][13]. This gradual decay of

Chiral plasmonic nanostructures fabricated with circularly polarized light

• Tian Qiao and
• Ming Lee Tang

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2025, 16, 2245–2264, doi:10.3762/bjnano.16.154

• [13]. In 1848, Pasteur achieved the physical separation of enantiomers for the first time. In his experiments, he crystallized the racemic sodium ammonium salt of tartaric acid, forming two distinct crystals that each rotated the polarization of light in opposite manner [14]. The interaction between