Themed collection Nanoscale 2023 Emerging Investigators

Our 2023 Emerging Investigators collection gathers some of the best research being conducted by nanoscientists in the early stages of their independent career. Congratulations to all of the researchers featured!

Bayesian optimisation (BO) has been increasingly utilised to guide material discovery.

The fundamental structures and solar-cell performance of all-inorganic ABX₃ perovskites that contain mixed group IVA cations at the B sites are examined comprehensively, pointing to an interesting direction in exploring perovskites with reduced Pb inclusion.

We summarize how various photo-oxidation reactions, rather than water oxidation, can be integrated with proton reduction in photocatalysis to generate H₂ while producing valuable chemicals for a sustainable chemical industry and eliminating waste.

This state-of-the-art review of MXene-based catalysts in CO₂ electro/photoreduction places an emphasis on synthesis approaches, surface termination modulation, heterostructure engineering and reaction mechanisms.

A minireview of reconfigurable scaffolds for adaptive tissue regeneration.

This mini-review presents a brief overview of recent progress in bismuth-based halide perovskite (BHP) nanomaterials for heterogeneous photocatalysis under visible light, including the synthesis and physical–chemical properties of advanced BHPs.

Endocytosis-mediated redistribution of antibiotics sheds light on the development of novel delivery platforms and alternative strategies to combat intracellular bacterial pathogens.

Various electrode materials and relevant modification approaches used for zinc-halogen, hydrogen-halogen, and polysulfide-halogen ARFB systems are summarized, and the relevant mechanisms and regulatory means are illustrated.

The review discusses triggering strategies for transient electronics. Connected biomedical applications with diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities of transient electronics have been summarized.

The γ-Al₂O₃/SrTiO3 heterostructure has emerged as a multifunctional material system. Here, I review the highlights and propose five future directions.

Copper and silver nanowires as novel electrocatalysts for the electroreduction of CO₂.

This mini-review focuses on the recent understanding of the impacts of ligands on the photoluminescence properties of atomically precise silver nanoclusters.

This minireview summarizes the structure, composition and working principles of mass tag-encoded nanointerfaces, along with their biological applications in multiplex mass spectrometry (MS) analyses.

This review summarizes the works regarding chiral inorganic nanomaterials with bio-functions and bio-applications, which can deep our understanding on chiral inorganic nanomaterials' construction principles and biological functional properties.

This mini-review highlights the design and synthesis of peptoid-based nanomaterials for pathogen-related healthcare applications.

This minireview summarizes the progress in the rational design of surface/interface modifications for low-temperature lithium-ion batteries.

This minireview summarizes the current progress in active therapy based on the byproducts produced or generated during the motion process of micro/nanomotors.

Nanoporous ice is an emerging class in the water/ice family, also named WOF (Water Oxygen-vertex Framework), which is stable under negative pressure. We summarize recent progress and important milestones and present our perspectives on future studies of nanoporous ices.

As a lab-on-soft biochip providing accurate and timely biomarker information, wearable biosensors can satisfy the increasing demand for intelligent e-health services, active disease diagnosis/therapy, and huge bioinformation data.

Here, we present the recent progress in the synthesis, property–performance correlation, and novel work on graphene-based nanomaterials (GBnMs) in water treatment technologies, specifically nanofiltration and solar desalination applications.

Organ-on-chip systems recapitulate the form and function of biological organs in highly controlled in vitro conditions and have already been used for testing a variety of nanoparticles. Can they unlock the translational potential of nanomedicine?

Transformable nanodrugs with changeable sizes and shapes allow for overcoming multiple biological barriers for enhanced drug delivery. This review aims to present an overview of the most recent development of smart nanodrugs in this emerging field.

Foreshadowing future needs has catapulted the progress of skin-like electronic devices for human–machine interactions.

A comprehensive review on Hg chalcogenide colloidal quantum dot infrared photodetectors, with the essential progress of synthesis methods, property control, device engineering, focus plane array integration and innovative applications.

This review discusses the important role of immune cells in the management of periodontitis and the nanotherapeutic methods for immunoregulated periodontal tissue regeneration.

This review presents a comprehensive summary of the material–microorganism interface in microbial hybrid electrocatalysis systems.

This review summarizes the development of memristors with functional voltages in the biological region (<120 mV), covering the aspects of device material composition, performance, working mechanism, and potential applications.

This review enhances a fundamental understanding of the degradation mechanisms of Ni-based layered cathodes under fast-charging conditions from atomic to electrode scales. Design strategies for enhancing fast-charging performance are also suggested.

We provided an overview of recent advances in 2D-material-based wearable chemical sensors for healthcare applications. We also explored the challenges and opportunities associated with designing and implementing 2D wearable chemical sensors.

Biomolecules have been integrated in halide perovskite nanocrystals (HPNCs), impacting their formation, physicochemical properties, and stability. We address the biomolecule's role in modulating HPNCs properties and extending their applications.

This review paper provides an overview of the growth, properties, and applications of non-〈111〉-oriented semiconductor nanowires for future electronic and optoelectronic devices.

This article provides a comprehensive and systematic review of permeable skin-mountable electronics, with a focus on representative porous materials and structures, device properties, and latest applications.

The family of silicene materials has emerged with various fascinating properties and applications.

This work reviews the chemical approaches to synthesizing metal alloy nanowires, and briefly discusses their applications as electrocatalysts.

This review summarized recent advances in various 2D nanomaterials with emphasis on the relevant mechanism of photothermal catalysis, discussing the synthesis methods and photothermal applications in the environmental and energy fields.

The highlights for preparing bioorthogonal nanozymes and their therapeutic applications are reported.

This review highlights the design, synthesis, and contrasting mechanisms of magnetic nanoprobes for high-performance ultrahigh-field magnetic resonance imaging.

This review summarizes the current advanced high-crystalline conjugated organic polymeric materials for photocatalytic CO₂ conversion.

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is one of the main reasons for the failure of tumor chemotherapy and has a negative influence on the therapeutic effect.

UiO-66-A.T. removed Hg²⁺ from water with a maximum adsorption capacity of 691 mg g⁻¹, a rate constant of 0.28 g mg⁻¹ min⁻¹, and a selectivity of 99.4%.

We developed a bipolar SiNx nanopore for the observation of single-molecule heterogeneous enzymatic dynamics.

In this nanoparticle synthesis, the feed quantities of TEOS and PEG-silane greatly impact the formation of the external silica shell used to encapsulate upconversion materials, as well as the accessible upconverted photoluminescence.

We investigate ferroelectric local distortion in BaTiO₃ with two widely used computational approaches with different treatments of many-body excitation effects.

The lattice strain effect in Pd–Ni core–shell nanocubes on the selectivity of urea electrolysis is elucidated, which can facilitate catalyst design for efficient urea waste treatment and concomitant cathodic hydrogen production or CO₂ reduction.

The NM_2.7Mg_0.3PP@C cathode displays a considerable discharge capacity, an improved rate capability, superior cycling performance and stable structure.

A fixed nanogap between electrodes is pre-set and the simultaneous electrical and mechanical properties of a single molecule are obtained from the time-resolved changes in both the current and force induced by stochastic metal–molecule binding.

Caged microreactors were constructed by Pickering stabilization of complex coacervate droplets with silica nanoparticles. The size of the nanoparticles determined the molecular transport into the microreactors.

A joint spectroscopy and ab initio study identifies electronic orbitals of valence tautomeric complexes on different semiconducting polymers, including a spin-polarized ligand-to-metal charge transfer state that spans the entire molecular plane.

Two graphene-like macrocyclic monolayers are proposed with high strength and ultrahigh carrier mobilities and ZT values, having promising applications in mechanical enhancement, microelectronics, wearable electronics and thermoelectric devices.

A cascade nanozyme with glucose oxidase and haloperoxidase activities was designed and synthesized, which was shown to generate antiseptic HOBr from a ubiquitous non-ROS, O₂. It successfully inhibited growth of a bacterial pathogen and its biofilm.

Using five reaction parameters as “reaction coordinates”, we mapped out the “reaction zones” that produce CdTe magic-sized clusters (MSCs) and quantum dots (QDs). The photoluminescent properties of CdTe MSCs and QDs were also investigated.

Nasal mucus plays a key role in the sense of smell by absorbing and transporting chemicals to olfactory receptors.

An Au₄Ni₂ nanocluster containing a square-planar [PPh₂–Au–S–Au]₂ ring and two nickel-pincer arms was found to be assembled by noncovalent interactions. The assembly-dependent properties that are distinct from the octahedral M₆ clusters were shown.

Rearrangement of the internal structure of NC-PNIPAM nanocomposite hydrogels through heating or salt treatment renders self-strengthening properties to the nanocomposite hydrogels.

We demonstrate the successful immobilization of polymer-stabilized ZIF-8 nanoparticles within a kidney scaffold, endowing it with a high adsorption capacity to remove uremic toxins (mainly hydrophobic ones) under flow conditions.

The nanowires assembled from [PS₄] clusters and group-IIIA or transition metal atoms with unique structural symmetry show diverse electronic and magnetic properties.

A growth strategy is presented for controllable fabrication of hollow In₂O₃ nanoparticles via oxidation of In nanocrystals under electron beam irradiation.

Our work highlights the importance of multi-omics to comprehend the multi-molecular composition of the nanoparticle biomolecule corona and paves the way for the corona-enabled enrichment of blood-circulating disease-specific lipids.

Raman spectroscopy showing the initial formation of SnSe₂ followed by the stabilization of SnSe with increased growth time.

Vertical heterojunctions based on 3D wide band-gap semiconductor, β-phase Ga₂O₃ and 2D layered semiconductors are demonstrated. Effects of 2D semiconductor, contact metals and β-Ga₂O₃ crystalline orientation on junction performance are investigated.

By harnessing thermal gradients generated in aperture plasmonic cavities and using an AC field, plasmonic double nanohole aperture tweezers can rapidly trap nanoscale particles within seconds.

Biocompatible cationic graphene flakes efficiently complex and deliver the enzyme to the lysosomes of the fibroblasts derived from the patients with Mucopolysaccharidosis VI, leading to enhanced degradation of the accumulated lysosomal substrate.

The recently reported two-dimensional Janus transition metal dichalcogenide materials based assembled heterostructure superlattice presents ultra-stretchable characteristic using as nanodevices.

[Au₆(SbP₃)₂][PF₆]₂: the first gold nanocluster protected by multidentate coordination of stibine (Sb) and phosphine (P) moieties.

Photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting combined with renewable energy is an appealing approach for solar energy conversion and storage.

A kind of perovskite-type potassium–sodium niobate K_0.4Na_0.6O₃ synthesized via a facile hydrothermal reaction exhibits excellent piezo-/photocatalytic properties under the synergistic effect of light irradiation and ultrasonic vibration.

A hydrogel acts as the sealing film of microfluidic chips, and allows the delivery of target biochemicals to the outer surface for various types of quantitative analysis.

Orientation of ordered domains in oMLD PEDOT thin films changes with thickness, affecting ion uptake rate and electrochemical device applications.

The annealing of pyrolyzed paper (PP) under isopropanol vapor leads to the formation of highly graphitic nanolayers (∼15 nm) on the material surface. PP electrodes with a resistivity as low as 7 mΩ cm could be achieved for sensing applications.