Themed collection Celebrating International Women’s day 2026: Women in Nanoscience

Lucie Sancey, Ariane Boudier, Elise Lepeltier, Marie-Pierre Rols, Jeanne Leblond Chain and Nguyên T. K. Thanh introduce this Nanoscale themed collection on nanomedicines for crossing biological barriers which aligns with the themes of the French Society of Nanomedicine.

Nguyen Thi Kim Thanh, Sylvie Begin, Sophie Laurent and Teresa Pellegrino introduce this Nanoscale and Nanoscale Advances themed issue on theranostic nanoplatforms for biomedicine.

The work establishes sustainable next-generation SERS platforms based on semiconductor nano-photocatalysts that offer enhanced durability and multifunctionality beyond traditional noble metal systems.

Overview of design strategies and adsorption interactions in stable covalent organic frameworks (COFs) featuring functionalized 3D Schiff base C–N linkages, emphasizing their effectiveness in CO₂ capture applications.

Quantum dots (QDs) have emerged as promising platforms for physical unclonable functions (PUFs), where their nanoscale heterogeneity, emission variability, and spectral tunability enable robust, unique, and secure authentication.

This review discusses key factors influencing photoluminescence fluctuations of single perovskite nanocrystals and highlights surface passivation strategies to enhance their stability.

The increasing demand for sustainable solutions to address environmental and energy challenges has driven the development of advanced materials. This paper highlights recent advancements in the development of sustainable nanofibrous membranes.

Synthesis methodology of AuNR@MOF nanohybrids, chemical role of their different components and their applications.

Advancing clean energy catalysis, nanozymes deliver robust, low-cost, tunable activity; this review outlines applications, design strategies, challenges, and prospects.

Nose-to-brain delivery is advancing with mucoadhesive and mucopenetrative nanomedicines, enabling effective intranasal transport of therapeutics like oxytocin and insulin through optimized formulations and predictive in vitro–in vivo models.

The review emphasizes on the microwave-assisted synthesis of nanomaterials, while concentrating on its biomedical applications, such as cancer therapy, drug delivery, and tissue engineering.

This review outlines recent advances in optical nanosensor-based dengue detection and compares current commercial diagnostics, highlighting their limitations and detection limits relative to circulating NS1 levels.

Copper chromite nanoparticles (CuCr₂O₄ NPs) are in the spotlight of modern nanoscience due to their versatile applications across various scientific and industrial domains. The graphical abstract was created, in part, with Canva.com.

Nanoemulsions improve the ocular bioavailability of anti-infectives, resulting in enhanced antimicrobial effects and better therapeutic outcomes in the treatment of infectious eye diseases.

Disorders of the central nervous system are difficult to treat due to drug exclusion by the blood–brain barrier. Nanotherapeutics aim to address these issues by exploiting natural mechanisms for brain access.

Cell penetrating peptides have emerged as a prime tool for enhancing nanocarrier barrier penetration and targeted drug delivery outcomes. Illustration made using BioRender. The graphical abstract was created in BioRender. Maisel, K. (2025) https://BioRender.com/iouxsm2.

3D cell cultures produce higher EV yields, with comparable or more physiologically relevant morphology, enriched cargo, and enhanced functionality. However, each model presents distinct strengths and limitations that must be carefully considered.

The Single Electron Transistor is crucial in various fields including semiconductor device fabrication, material science, medical imaging, Single Electron Memory, Spintronics, SET Microscopy and Bio Sensor.

Schematic illustration of nanogold-albumin conjugates for application in next-generation cancer therapy and diagnostics. Material reproduced with permission; see full details in Fig. 1 caption.

This review provides insights on recent advances using label-free and label-based SERS assays for detecting multiple small extracellular vesicle biomarkers for cancer diagnosis, including issues surrounding their translation from lab to clinic.

Energy harvesting, the process of capturing ambient energy from various sources and converting it into usable electrical power, has attracted a lot of attention due to its potential to provide long-term and self-sufficient energy solutions.

We developed a non-invasive imaging method to track CAR-T cells using internalized nanobubble ultrasound contrast agents.

A linear-to-circular polarization differential detection scheme using a polarization-multiplexed metasurface is proposed to tackle miniaturization and integration limitations of optical detection modules in atomic co-magnetometers.

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is an attractive electrode material for supercapacitors due to its high surface area, good chemical stability, and relatively low cost, although its poor conductivity remains the major limiting factor.

Schematic representation showing the weak and strong interaction of CPB with SBA-15 NH₂ and SBA-15 SO₃H respectively.

Hollow core polydopamine nanoparticles are used for encapsulation and ultrasound-aided release of a potent chemotherapeutic drug.

A low-energy, reagent-efficient process transforms biomass directly into highly charged, pH-responsive cellulose and chitin nanomaterials—unlocking sustainable routes to advanced functional biopolymers.

The ABC effect causes rapid clearance of repeat PEG–LNP doses, while polymer–LNPs show reduced or variable clearance, suggesting alternative polymers may overcome this limitation.

Operando/in situ liquid cell transmission electron microscopy (LCTEM) allows for real time imaging of dynamic nanoscale liquid-based processes.

The nanoscale spatial organization of T cell receptor (TCR) influences activation of CD8⁺ T cells; a comprehensive understanding of the molecular landscape using native peptide-MHC class I (pMHC-I) is explored.

We employed a center-to-edge rolling mechanism to transform monolayer MoS₂ into regular nanoscrolls exhibiting large optical anisotropy, enabling precise control of light emission and absorption for advanced optoelectronic and quantum applications.

A novel reduced Nb₂CT_x/GO thin film was developed for a transparent photoelectrochemical photodetector for UV detection with high photoresponsivity and environmental stability.

A silicon nitride microring chip emitter enabling on-chip atomic polarization and laser stabilization, replacing bulk optics for quantum technologies.

The antiferromagnetic Co_0.6Fe_0.4O core couples via exchange interaction with the ferrimagnetic Co_1.4Fe_1.6O₄ shell at their interface, inducing a giant exchange bias.

Dex-CeO₂ and Dex-Mn₃O₄ nanoparticles exhibit hydroxyl radical and singlet oxygen scavenging activities, with the potential to alleviate oxidative stress in mammalian systems.

Homogeneous precipitation enables formation of spherical neptunium oxide nanoparticles. These particles underscore the study of multi-scale structure–property relationships in actinide materials.

Graphene-loaded AcD/CMC core–shell microspheres exhibit RF-triggered drug release and release profiles showing enhanced payload delivery under RF stimulation.

Etching of faceted nanoparticles with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons provides an oxygen-free route to monodisperse colloids, as exemplified with plasmonic Mg structures.

We report a paper-based immunoassay where secondary antibodies with catalytic bimetallic nanoclusters (NCs) integrated into their structure serve as detection antibodies for naked-eye detection.

Investigations of formation and steady-state configurations of curved vortex structures in nanoscale superconductor–ferromagnet hybrids reveal their sensitivity to both inhomogeneous magnetic field and geometric characteristics of the superconductor.

Novel Fe^III MOF nanospheres were successfully developed for sensing nicotine and its primary metabolite, cotinine, in aqueous medium and living cells.

A heterointerface between NiFeMo-LTH and Ti₃C₂T_x MXene created to achieve superior OER activity showing outstanding performance in AEMWE system with energy efficiency of 60.5% alongside great stability in alkaline seawater.

We present flexible textile TENGs by electronically dyeing polyester with 2D WS₂, tailoring its triboelectric properties via drop casting, immersion, and spray coating.

We show a method for the integrated real-time optical monitoring and analysis of anisotropic gold nanoparticles in capsule shaped microdrops. We then use it for monitoring the growth kinetics of gold nanosphere synthesis in these drops.

Molecular structure controlled tuning of absorption, emission & chiroptical properties of NDIs.

We reported experimental observation of Mie scattering effects of Si embedded Ge quantum dot (QD)/SiN micro-disk arrays as a result of a significant enhancement in the electromagenatic near-field intensity.

A ZnO/FAPbBr₃ perovskite nanocrystal n–n heterojunction photodetector shows high on/off ratio, strong responsivity, fast switching, and excellent sensitivity under low bias—ideal for broadband imaging and sensing applications.

Breast cancer tissue interacts with Ag/Ni/NiO nanowires and is probed by 638 nm wavelength to generate SERS signals, which are analyzed by machine learning (LDA) to classify normal tissue and breast cancer subtypes.

The N-doped CDs were synthesized by a facile solvothermal method with 2-amino-5-bromopyrazine and terephthalic acid as the precursors, achieving a deep-blue emission of 402 nm in the CD-LED, with CIE coordinates of (0.15, 0.08), and an EQE of 2.58%.

Hydrolysis-calcination driven phase engineering of bismuth-rich oxybromides (Bi_xO_yBr_z) into multiple crystalline phases, retaining 2D layered morphology and enabling enhanced visible-light photocatalytic ROS generation for degradation of pollutants and harmful algal blooms.

A schematic mechanism of photocatalytic ammonia production on single Cu entities attached to nitrogen-deficient functionalized BN sheets.

Hybrid dielectric–graphene nanostructured substrates enable highly sensitive, low-power SERS detection of antibodies.

Probing the intrinsic dynamics of excited-state relaxation in graphene quantum dots presenting exceptional dispersion stability, precisely controlled number of conjugated carbon rings and photoluminescence quantum yield of almost unity.

Conductive atomic force microscopy reveals the electrical connectivity between Au nanoparticles in hybrid films containing PEDOT:PSS and PVA, which were developed towards flexible electronics.

Watermelon juice-derived carbon dots (W-CDs) serve as a fluorescent probe for selective detection of picric acid (PA), with the sensing system integrated into a microcontroller-based portable device for on-site explosive monitoring.

This study first reports a novel one-step microwave synthesis of MoO_3−x-TpTTA COF nanocomposite (NC). The NC enabled SERS detection of methylene blue (EF 7.76 × 10⁴) and demonstrated high reproducibility for Mancozeb detection with a 12.5 ppm LOD.

Polyacrylamide (PAM)-based hydrogels are widely recognized as promising candidates for use as cartilage scaffolds.

Iron carbide nanoparticles, a type of magnetic nanostructure, have been proposed as novel candidate therapeutic agents for a wide range of biomedical applications, yet their biocompatibility remains a critical concern for their safe implementation.

This study uses polymer-coated SiN_x nanopores and individual-event data analysis to track real time volume and shape changes of ferritin fragments during reassembly and disassembly, offering a powerful method for probing dynamic protein processes.

Modulating the anisotropic thermal transport in CVD-grown monolayer ReSe₂ through defects and layer stacking.

First in situ Raman tracking of surface orientation dependent organometallic-to-covalent transition in graphdiyne wires on gold.

This study aims to improve the biological properties of cefalexin by using green synthesized copper oxide nanoparticles against Klebsiella bacteria. The hybrid compound achieved complete inhibition of the bacteria.

Fabrication of an electrochemical biosensor for the detection of Rebaudioside A (Reb A).

Glucose and Sulphanilamide derived h-OLF exhibits prominent HER activity in acidic non-aqueous electrolytic media. Specifically, the enhanced HER performance of h-OLF is attributed to the large number of H⁺ due to the strong acid dissociation.

Mesoporous silica-based nanoparticles (NPs) are promising tools for developing targeted therapeutic interventions in cancer.

Bola-amphiphilic dendrimers bearing glucose and mannose terminals were synthesized and evaluated for targeting, respectively, astrocytes and microglia in the brain. The graphical abstract was created, in part, with BioRender.

N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) stabilized gold nanoparticles synthesized by the 'top-down' approach show greater promise in catalysis and photoacoustic imaging compared to their 'bottom-up' counterparts.

A facile dual injection synthesis protocol enabling precise phase control in the production of mixed metal chalcohalide anisotropic crystals. Sequential transformation of seeds drives formation of the quaternary chalcohalide.

Y₃Fe₅O₁₂ (YIG)–Au nanocomposites showed improved magnetic damping over pure YIG films while also introducing new hyperbolic optical properties.

Biowaste-derived carbon quantum dots (CQDs) have emerged as sustainable, low-cost nanomaterials that align with the principles of green chemistry and promote waste-to-wealth conversion.