Themed collection 2016 Nanoscale HOT Article Collection

Synthetic strategies, superstructures, properties and applications of multi-component metamaterials self-assembled from nanocrystals have been highlighted in this minireview article.

Here we present the Mendeleev–Meyer Force Project which aims at tabulating all materials and substances in a fashion similar to the periodic table.

Electrochemical interfaces between immiscible liquids have lately received renewed interest, both for gaining fundamental insight as well as for applications in nanomaterial synthesis.

This brief review provides an overview of existing advanced scanning probe microscopy techniques used to probe nanoscale electrochemistry in solid state materials.

This article highlights recent advances in the use of efficient azide–alkyne cycloaddition reactions in the construction of branched polymers with sophisticated nanostructures.

A comprehensive review of nanostructured MoS₂ with zero to three dimensional morphologies, exploring their electrocatalysis and photocatalysis potentials.

We provide a summary of the state-of-the-art of research activities on 2D layered M^IIIX^VI materials.

Materials with dielectric properties at the macroscopic level can behave as solid electrolytes at the nanoscale, opening new perspectives for fundamental understanding and applications.

Ratiometric fluorescent sensors, which can provide built-in self-calibration for the correction of a variety of analyte-independent factors, have attracted particular attention for analytical sensing and optical imaging with the potential to provide a precise and quantitative analysis.

Strain engineering is widely considered as an effective way of tuning the properties of graphene and has opened a new field called “straintronics”.

Nanopatterned polymer brushes provide versatile platforms for investigation of nanoscale phenomena at biointerfaces and for a wide range of applications in biotechnology and electronics.

We developed an unconventional fluorescent ELISA using spectrometry and a naked-eye readout based on an original ALP-enabled in situ synthesis of polyT–CuNPs.

A straightforward hollow sphere colloidal lithography was developed to directly produce complex 3D hierarchical nanostructures.

Carbon honeycombs have two separated electron transport channels: along the straight lines of atoms and along the zigzag chains.

We demonstrated nanofloating gate transistor memory devices (NFGTMs) using mechanically-exfoliated few-layered black phosphorus (BP) channels and gold nanoparticle (AuNPs) charge trapping layers.

Depending on the sublattices they are propagated in, low-energy electrons or holes are labeled with pseudospin.

An in-gap state was detected by scanning tunneling spectroscopy for phenylacetylene functionalized SiNCs, which can account for the PL shift to lower energy by reducing the apparent band gap for recombination.

The fabrication, characterisation and controlled cargo release of hollow mesoporous raspberry-like colloids (HMRCs), which are assembled by utilising host–guest complexation of cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) are described.

We combine super-resolution photoactivation localization microscopy (PALM) with single particle tracking (SPT) to explore the fast dynamics of nanoparticle-cell interactions with high spatial resolution.

We bring to bear a new series of thiolate-protected gold nanoclusters with a unique growth pattern.

The g-SiC₇ siligraphene shows superior sunlight optical absorbance and is promising as a donor material in photovoltaics applications.

Here, we present a high-efficiency exfoliation method to obtain abundant and superior graphene, h-BN, MoS₂, and WS₂ nanosheets in aqueous solution.

It is shown by in situ electron microscopy that fullerene-like spherical clusters with diameters down to 0.4 nm and thus much smaller than C₆₀ grow in a polymerized state on Co, Fe, or Ru surfaces.

The electronic structures of poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone)-stabilized gold clusters with a diameter of ∼1.2 nm can be modulated repeatedly by the adsorption and desorption of hydrogen atoms derived from NaBH₄.

The nucleation and growth of a nanostructure controls its size and morphology, and ultimately its functional properties.

We show the development of a new class of highly efficient, biocompatible fiducial markers for X-ray imaging and radiosurgery, based on polymer shells encapsulating engineered gold nanoparticle (AuNP) suspensions.

A novel 41-metal atom Au–Ag alloy nanocluster cocapped by thiolate and halogen atoms featuring an all-metallic face-fused biicosahedral Au₂@AuAg₂₀ rod-like kernel enwrapped by the outermost Ag₁₈(SCH₂Ph)₂₄X₃ shell was isolated and structurally characterized.

We use the harmonic superposition approach to examine how a single atom substitution affects low-temperature anomalies in the vibrational heat capacity (C_V) of model nanoclusters.

A fracture test can determine whether RRAM switching is uniform or filamentary.

The edge atomic configuration often plays an important role in dictating the properties of finite-sized two-dimensional (2D) materials.

Atomic force microscopy provides nanoscale insights into the molecular organisation and dynamics of confined liquids as a function of temperature.

The quantum physics of ions and electrons of strongly correlated molecular conductors, superconductors and Mott insulators is fascinating especially in orbitally degenerate cases such as caesium fulleride, where nanoscale sized orbital excitations play an important role, also reflected by infrared spectra.

For the large-scale commercial application of Pt-based catalysts, minimizing the usage of Pt while retaining the high catalytic activity is crucial.

A green and facile strategy was developed to fabricate theranostic transferrin–indocyanine nanoparticles with intrinsic biosafety and active targeting abilities.

A metal–organic molecular net composed of tannic acid (TA) and iron(III) was constructed around the brome mosaic virus (BMV) particle to determine whether the added net could act as a transport barrier for water, and if the net could stabilize the virus in physically or chemically challenging environments.

Stress-driven surface reconstructions in core@shell nanoalloys cause the disappearance of open facets to the advantage of closed-packed facets.

Molecularly imprinted nanoparticles addressed at a structured epitope displayed structural recognition and promoted the structuration of the linear epitope-precursor.

Self-Assembly of bundle CNTs having different aspect ratios (ARs) in a polymer matrix.

The k-turn is a powerful building block in the construction of nano-scale molecular objects, exemplified by a quasi-circular six-k-turn object.

T _g of nanoconfined polymers loses dependence on molar mass, suggesting that nanofabrication may affect the long-term stability of polymer nanostructures.

Ultra-small lipid–polymer hybrid nanoparticles are fabricated by a charge-based stabilization method. The treatment efficacy of a cancer drug-loaded, tumor-targeted formulation is evaluated in a mouse xenograft model and compared with a commonly used clinical drug formulation.

A generalized colloidal approach has been developed to directly synthesize high-quality CsPbX₃ (X = Cl, Br, and I) perovskite nanosheets.

The oriented Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanorods (NRs) were successfully synthesized with a high-frequecy permeability.

Nanomachines incorporating stimuli-responsive chitosan hydrogels are engineered as a platform for multifunctional and wirelessly guided drug delivery to cancer cells.

A hollow porous carbon nitride nanosphere coupled with reduced graphene oxide (HCNS/rGO) was exploited as a visible-light photocatalyst to remove nitrogen monoxide in air at a low concentration (600 ppb level) under irradiation of an energy saving lamp.

A stable volleyball-like molecular cluster, Volleyballene Sc₂₀C₆₀, was identified. It possesses relatively high symmetry and a hollow space that can be used to accommodate other atoms or molecules for the purpose of studying fundamental chemistry.

2D quasi-ordered nitrogen-enriched porous carbon (QNPC) nanohybrids have been synthesized by an in situ polymerization assembly method. The QNPC nanohybrids offer high specific capacitance, excellent rate-capability, long-term stability and high energy density.

The architecture of a tuneable graphene nanopore device (left) and the highly sensitive detection of the carboxyl group in a glycine zwitterion as it translocates through the pore (right).

Fine tuning of experimental conditions allows dimensional control of benzotriazole species adsorbed on Au(111), revealing a subtle interplay between H-bonding, vdW inter-adsorbate and surface-adsorbate interactions, as highlighted both experimentally and theoretically.

A wormhole-like porous/magnetic nanoparticles composite absorber synthesized with a method combining liquid–liquid phase separation and pyrolysis process has an excellent electromagnetic wave absorption performance with a wide absorption band width, strong absorbency and low thickness.

iPAINT enables three-dimensional super-resolution imaging of soft and deformable interfaces in nanomaterials without the need of covalent labelling.

2D alloy of B, C and O in the honeycomb structure shows a tunable band gap and high carrier mobility.

Versatile surface engineering of porous nanomaterials with bioinspired polyphenol coatings was developed for targeted and controlled drug delivery.

Two stable stacking orders (namely isotropic-like and anisotropic-like stacking orders) and unexpected strong interlayer coupling are revealed in two-dimensional layered ReS₂ by Raman spectroscopy, photoluminescence and first-principle calculation.

The internal organization of gold nanorod supercrystals is fully described as well as infiltration with silica and SERS performance.

A gas-liquid segmented flow is used in a microreactor for the continuous production of faceted nanocrystals.

A highly efficient and clean method for the production of reduced graphene oxide via UV irradiation of aqueous dispersions of graphene oxide (GO) containing small quantities of acetone and isopropanol is developed.

A geometry strategy is proposed to forbid the radiative recombination possibility and thus prolong the lifetime of excitons in nanowires by engineering the symmetries of wave-functions of band-edge states.

We demonstrate that the thiol–ene “click” reaction is locally induced at the surface of gold nanoparticles by exploiting their nanoplasmonic properties.

Three families of graphene networks are topological semimetals with Weyl-surfaces, and their 2D and 1D structures are also Weyl semimetals.

Perovskite solar cells with an admixture of nanocrystalline TiO₂ and Al₂O₃ are prepared to explore the role of the mesoporous TiO₂ layer: interconnection of TiO₂ particles plays an important role in charge collection.

Laterally-accumulated charges at the interface between ferroelectric and semiconductor nanowires enable the design of a new configuration of memory device.

The closing and opening of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is essential for their applications in nanoscale chemistry and biology.

Ultrathin Cu₂O prepared by a thermal oxidation method was investigated as an efficient hole transporting material for perovskite solar cells.

Rapid detection of sarcosine is a key requirement for both diagnosis and treatment of disease.

Solid-state carbon nanodots were generated from nitriles/ionic liquids via a bottom-up electrochemical strategy and successfully used in specific Fe³⁺ detection and bioimaging.

To improve the omnidirectional light-harvesting in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), here we present a dandelion-like structure composed of ZnO hemispherical shells and nanorods.

Experimental and digital syntheses are compared to achieve batches of original and highly symmetrical clusters as checked by cryo-electron tomography.

High-pressure synchrotron SAXS experiments on Pt nanocrystal superlattices reveal four stages in the structural and mechanical property evolution upon compression.

Novel cellulose conjugated mesoporous silica nanoparticles (CLS-MSPs) for stimuli responsive intracellular doxorubicin (DOX) delivery were designed.