Themed collection 2018 Nanoscale HOT Article Collection

The rational design of crystal planes with express channels is an effective approach to develop the high-performance cathodes for lithium ion batteries.

Diamond nanoparticles (nanodiamonds) are unique among carbon nanomaterials, and are quickly establishing a niché in the biomedical application domain.

The porous liquid zeolites with permanent porosity could be fabricated by exploiting the hydrogen bonding interaction between the alkane chains of branched ionic liquids and the Brønsted sites in H-form zeolites.

DNA-free single-molecule cut-and-paste enables spatially controlled assembly of labelled biomolecules into well-defined geometries (e.g. a star) with nanometre precision.

A hybrid catalyst CoO/mesoporous N-doped graphene with enhanced pyridinic-N–Co bonding is designed and it exhibits superior bi-functional ORR/OER performance.

Interfacial coupling between ZIFs and noble metal NPs plays a significant role in enhancing catalytic efficiency.

Stretch-alignment of CsPbBr₃ perovskite nanorods synthesized in situ in a polymer matrix leads to polarized emission.

With variable segment roles, three isomers exhibited different packing modes, nanocrystal morphologies and photoluminescence properties.

Benzene derivatives can reduce unexpected PbTe NCs oxidation even with the introduction of leaked air or moisture during the synthesis procedure.

A ferromagnetic nanoparticle-embedded hybrid nanogenerator (FHNG) which combines triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) and electromagnetic generator (EMG) was is proposed. Through a simple treatment, high-triboelectric monolayers of nanoscale thicknesses are formed.

Spin-crossover (SCO) switching of individual molecules connected to graphene electrodes is detected in the electrical current.

Two-dimensional (2D) black phosphorus has nearly the same stability as 2D blue phosphorus and now can be exclusively stabilized over all other 2D allotropes by nitrogen and hole carrier doping.

We demonstrate that robust superlubricity can be achieved via both biaxial and uniaxial tensile strains in a substrate using molecular dynamics simulation. Above a critical strain, the friction is no longer dependent on the relative orientation between the surfaces mainly due to the complete lattice mismatch. Importantly, the larger the size of the flake is, the smaller the critical biaxial strain is.

Bactericidal nanoparticle coatings are very promising for hindering the indirect transmission of pathogens through cross-contaminated surfaces.

RBC-hitchhiking regime is shown without prolongation of nanoparticle blood circulation but with the record 120-fold boost of particle delivery to lungs. The approach is efficient for treatment of pulmonary metastases.

With the help of achiral block copolymers in a nanochannel, nanoparticles are directed to self-assemble into chiral assemblies with strong chiroptical responses.

Thermo-responsive supramolecular polymer/MWCNTs composite materials were prepared by a spraying procedure and used as waterproof strain sensors with NIR-induced underwater healability.

An elegant Z-scheme-fashioned photoanode consisting of Fe₂O₃ nanorod arrays and underlying thin Sb₂Se₃ layers was rationally constructed.

Global minimum energy structures of protein nano-cages are investigated as a function of the mechanical properties of coat proteins.

The thermal reshaping and its influence on the plasmonic properties of gold nanostars are investigated using a combination of in situ tomography and a state-of-the-art fast acquisition approach.

N-Doped carbon shelled bimetallic Fe–Co phosphides with controlled atomic ratios via simple synthesis methods for efficient overall water splitting.

An integrated experimental and modeling study reveals the contributions of intra- and inter-band transitions and the size and surface ligand effects on plasmonic absorption.

Litchi-peel-like hierarchical hollow copper-ceria microspheres with highly dispersed CuO_x and steps exhibit remarkable catalytic activity and stability for CO oxidation.

The large non-saturating magnetoresistance (MR) of bulk WTe₂ is greatly reduced in thin films, and vdW heterojunction engineering can significantly enhance the MR effect.

Size-selected (2–45 nm) Ag NPs for matrix assisted desorption and ionization of Aβ peptides in MALDI-TOF MS.

An alkaline-acid electrolyte electrolyzer was designed to efficiently harvest two types of energy to assist electrolytic hydrogen production using waste urea, acid, and base.

Adsorption of blood proteins to the surface of nanocarriers is known to be the critical factor influencing cellular interactions and eventually determining the successful application of nanocarriers as drug carriers in vivo.

Atomic Cu–N_x cofactors are incorporated within graphene encapsulated Co by direct annealing of MOFs and exhibit excellent ORR activity.

Nanoceria efficacy as a radio-protectant material is tested in vivo; testicular tissues are analysed to evaluate influence on gene transfer.

A high power factor was obtained in highly (00l)-oriented Bi₂Te₃/Te heterostructure thin films via energy-dependent carrier filtering effect.

The thermal stability of core–shell Pd@SiO₂ was for the first time monitored by using in situ Environmental TEM at atmospheric pressure coupled with Electron Tomography on the same particles.

1T-titanium selenide (1T-TiSe₂), a representative of 1T phase transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), exhibits semimetallic behaviour with a nearly zero bandgap structure, which makes it a promising photoelectric material.

We describe the low-frequency current fluctuations, i.e. electronic noise, in quasi-one-dimensional ZrTe₃ van der Waals nanoribbons, which have recently attracted attention owing to their extraordinary high current carrying capacity.

A general method to engineer photoacoustic/fluorescence dual-modal imaging nanoprobes has been proposed based on stable near-infrared conjugated polymer nanoparticles.

A DNAzyme made of guanine-rich DNA and hemin is capable of degrading graphene oxide sheets in the presence of hydrogen peroxide similarly to the natural enzyme horseradish peroxidase.

Contrasting atomistic growth mechanisms of stanene on Bi₂Te₃-based substrates are predicted within first-principles theory, favoring single-crystalline growth on Bi-covered Bi₂Te₃.

A hetero-biicosahedral 25-atom cluster in which one central atom was replaced by Pd was synthesized and the properties were elucidated.

Autophagy is the lysosomal-dependent degradation process of intracellular substances in adaptation to environmental or developmental changes. A classic MOFs Fe-MIL-101_NH₂ was revealed to induce cytoprotective autophagy in mouse embryonic fibroblast cells (MEFs).

Herein, the properties of quasi-1D MoS₂ nanoscrolls are systemically studied via experiment and theoretical simulation demonstrating that MoS₂ can transit from semiconductor to metal by self-scrolling.

Charge transfer is investigated in a planar dyad adsorbed on an insulting layer via local electronic excitations.

A series of N doped porous metallic NiMoO₄ nanowires with concomitant oxygen vacancy defects (N-V_o-NiMoO₄ NWs) were prepared as a catalyst for HER in alkaline media. Volcano-like fashion was exhibited for N-V_o-NiMoO₄ NWs on various amount of doped-N, with N3-V_o-NiMoO₄ NWs being the best one.

Hollow nanoflakes with 1T′-MoS₂/MoO₃ heterojunction nanosheets were simply synthesized and explored as a very robust catalyst for hydrogen evolution.

Nanoscale shaping of NPG's thermo-plasmonic effect is investigated to optimize localized light-to-heat conversion and its application in ultrasensitive heat-mediated actuation.

This work adopts an efficient atomic layer oxidation technique to cyclically increase the oxidation level of graphene sheets, thus, tuning their electrical conductance, band-gap structure, and photoluminescence response.

Visible light induced electron transfer from a BiOI semiconductor to a BaCO₃ insulator enables efficient photocatalytic activity on insulator-based heterojunctions.

By tailoring the phases of Mo_xC, α-MoC_1−x exhibits better Li-O₂ battery performance than β-Mo₂C with a lower charge-transfer resistance and better O₂ adsorption.

A high-nuclearity Cd₂₄ cluster built from Cd₄-thiacalix[4]arene SBUs and in situ generated peroxyphosphate PO₅³⁻ exhibited significant photocatalytic water splitting activity in absence of a co-catalyst.

We develop chemically cross-linked poly-N,N′-dimethyl aminoethyl methacrylate (PDMAEMA) smart nanogel as an excellent thermosensitive nanocarrier to load both anticancer drug, doxorubicine (DOX), and radioisotope ¹³¹I-labeled albumin for enhanced chemo-radioisotope therapy.

First-principles calculations within density functional theory reveal the preferred structures of red phosphorus in the two-dimensional (2D) limit to be porous with intriguing structural, electronic, and chemical properties.

A novel TiO₂ branch decorated WO₃ nanoplate (TWNP) photoanode was prepared by a simple and facile in situ wet chemical growth method and used as a highly efficient and stable photoelectrode for photoelectrocatalytic applications.

Through combining Cy7 and NaYbF₄@NaYF₄:60%Nd together to form a dye-sensitized system, the near-infrared emission intensity of Yb was significantly enhanced.

Celastrol and doxorubicin are self-assembled into carrier-free and biocompatible nanoparticles via a green method, which enhance synergistic combination chemotherapy and overcome drug resistance.

A new class of soft-oxometalate (SOM) based visible light propelled nanomotors for remediation of organic pollutants – methylene blue and benzyl bromide.

Molecular-level shear experiments quantify how single ions lubricate nano-confined water by locally remodelling the hydrogen bond network.

Graphene based nanomaterials induce a reactive oxygen species-mediated mitochondrial depolarization, caused by the activation of NADH dehydrogenase and xanthine oxidase.

Treatment using Au/BiOI nanocomposites for S. aureus-infected bacterial keratitis revealed that the nanocomposites are an effective agent for ocular infections.

Low doses of GO or FLG produce a metabolic remodeling that differentially affects human skin cell death and motility.

A CuS-superstructure-based clearable drug delivery and cancer theranostic platform was constructed.

Cytochrome c/doxorubicin dual therapy triggered by the high level of reactive oxygen species in tumor tissues.

Stabilization criteria for ferroelectric negative capacitance are more restrictive than previously thought, but downscaling of lateral device dimensions improves stability.

Lysozyme is used as a host molecule to disperse monomolecularly C₆₀ in water preserving the C₆₀ properties.

In this article, we study the size-dependent interactions of quasi-spherical nanocrystals with voids of concave nanoparticles of complementary sizes and shapes.

Sulfonate-ended carbosilane dendrimers with a polyphenolic core cause destabilization of virions by gp120 shedding, p24 release and RNA degradation.

We discovered two types of monolayer ferroelectric materials, one of them has the highest spontaneous polarization among 2D ferroelectric materials.

We present a fast and scalable method for the simultaneous fabrication of multiple nanodevices based on liquid-phase exfoliated van der Waals heterostructures.

Currently, the development of semiconducting metal oxide (SMO)-based gas sensors with innovative modification and three-dimensional (3D) structural designs has become a significant scientific interest due to their potential for addressing key technological challenges.

3D localized laser-like emission with deep subwavelength mode volume is demonstrated in individual metallic nanoparticle based on a hybrid semiconductor waveguide-insulator-silver nanorod system.

The atomic structures of many atomically precise nanosized ligand protected gold clusters have been resolved recently.

We perform molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the motion of phosphorene nanoflakes on a large graphene substrate under a thermal gradient.

Using scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy, we investigate the impact of the gate voltage on the electronic levels of CoPc molecules deposited on top of a graphene/SiO₂/Si device.