Themed collection Rising Stars and Young Nanoarchitects in Materials Science

We present a prospective bio-inspired approach to fabricate synthetic sponges with the amazing mechanical, optical, electrical and sorption properties via intensive ultrasonication.

Here we highlight recent developments in metal-containing block copolymers in terms of their sequential infiltration synthesis, their hierarchical self-assembly and their applications as an etch mask for high-throughput, high-aspect-ratio nano and meso scale patterning.

This review summarizes significant research progress on cyanostilbene-based intelligent organic optoelectronic materials for different application purposes.

We discuss the self-assembly of the semiconductor/insulator interface formed by spin-coating and its abundant applications in organic field-effect transistors.

Graphene oxide (GO) is used as a surfactant to disperse single walled carbon nanotubes and fullerenes in water, leading to photovoltaic all-carbon composites.

This review highlights the applications of aminoclay and its hybrids in the areas of catalysis, biology, fuel cells and light-harvesting.

This Feature Article presents an overview of exciton photophysics in single-walled carbon nanotubes studied by continuous-wave and time-resolved optical spectroscopy.

1D π-conjugated organic micro- or nanostructures keep all the advantages found in organic single crystals. They also present low-cost processing, solution processable materials, and large-area fabrication, and are compatible with flexible substrates. Current challenges are to find an accurate control of the morphology, size, degree of uniformity, and alignment on the micro- and nanometer-sized organic single crystals, for future applications in miniaturized devices.

Halloysite nanotubes are described as multifunctional additives for biopolymer composites allowing drug delivery coupled with enhanced strength and bioactivity.

This feature article reviews some of the recent work on the fabrication of functional hybrids based on biogenic nanofibers and inorganic nanomaterials with an emphasis on their functional properties and suggested potential applications.

The recent progress of nanoporous microspheres in synthetic approaches and healthcare applications is reviewed based on their typical structural features.

Highlights recent advances in the aerosol synthesis of inorganic nanomaterials made possible through the integration of new chemical methods.

We report the pH and ionic strength triggered self-assembly of polyanionic dendritic peptide amphiphiles into well-defined nanorods in water; by establishing state diagrams we show how frustrated growth is used as a sensitive tool in order to manipulate and control the one-dimensional supramolecular polymerisation processes.

Biodegradable polyester surfaces with controlled enzymatic degradability could be prepared by simple UV–ozone and UV treatments. Enzymatic lithography composed of the surface modification and enzymatic degradation processes provided various patterned polyester surfaces.

Using ALD, platinum nanoclusters with a narrow size distribution are deposited on gas-suspended titania nanoparticles at atmospheric pressure.

This paper describes a novel process for producing tri-layer ceramic composite fibers, and presents a proof of concept in the form of a multilayer multiferroic nanofiber consisting of alternating ferroelectric and ferromagnetic phases.

A gigantic surface plasmon effect on the magneto-optical activity was observed in new magneto-plasmonic nanoarchitectures consisting of 1 nm thick ferromagnetic nanosheets and Au nanoparticles.

A facile method for patterning of nanomaterials in complex geometries is unveiled in this paper by means of wrinkle formation in reactive, azlactone-based polymer thin films.

Multidrug-loaded gastric-floating polymeric microcapsules were prepared using a modified emulsion technique for controlled release of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drugs.

A multifunctional composite film that exhibited thermoresponsive absorption and emission was fabricated by using a thermochromic fluoran dye, its developer, and a luminescent europium(III) complex.

Poly(styrene)-grafted maghemite NPs were synthesized and utilized for magnetic Janus polymer particles prepared by a SORP method.

A nonvolatile, solvent-free liquid-C₆₀ can accommodate CdSe nanocrystals to create a composite nanomaterial with emergent photoelectrochemical performance.

Using a simple synthesis strategy, Gd(III)-decorated gold nanoparticles were prepared featuring relaxivities 6-fold higher than the Gd(III)–DOTA contrast agent.

A series of π-conjugated polymers made up of tetrathiafulvalene vinylogue and phenylacetylene repeat units was synthesized and investigated as supramolecular hosts for non-covalent functionalization of single-walled carbon nanotubes.

Silica–alumina/sepiolite nanoarchitectures are prepared by sol–gel and heterocoagulation processes from Al and Si alkoxide precursors and an organo-sepiolite, resulting in the irreversible assembly of silica–alumina nanoparticles on sepiolite fibers providing them with surface acidic properties.

Bioactive foams prepared through bottom-up processes following the nanoarchitectonics concept are comprised of PVA and urease-loaded lipid–sepiolite hybrids and show high structural integrity and tailored meso- and macroporosity.

Using additional gaps the DNA displacement reaction of AuNPs was speeded up nearly 30 times compared with those by conventional methods.

The efficient charge-separated systems (D–Pt–A) were applied to photoelectric conversion devices.

Gold nanoparticles are used as resolving agents to enable the measurement of the multivalent inhibition of lectin binding, without the need for labelled proteins, and the measurements are made simply using a digital camera.

Selective cleavage of a PEG coating from nanoparticles leads to dramatically increased cell uptake.

Hydrogen bridges between dry hydrophilic nanoparticles strongly increase the interparticle attraction and size of the agglomerates formed in gas–solid suspensions.

Macroscopic mechanical force has attracted much attention as an existing yet novel energy source for modification of molecular interactions and molecular reactivity.

Semiconductive iron oxide minerals promote bacterial long distance extracellular electron transfer.

The hexathio-benzene core molecule (right) shows outstanding phosphorescence as a powder (left) and has been used for luminescent organic nanocrystals and OLED.

The role of the amide configuration in the gelation process and topochemical polymerization of phenylacetylene macrocycles was investigated.

SrTiO₃ is a promising photocatalyst for the production of hydrogen from water splitting under solar light.

Direct observation and control over morphological development through the use of feedback in situ stroboscopic fluorescence microscopy.

Crystals of a fullerene/silver nitrate complex undergo a novel process leading to highly structured cube-shaped fullerene nanostructures.

The reduction of graphene oxide was examined by three different substituted borohydrides of varying reducing power. The structural and electrochemical properties of the reduced graphene oxides were described.

Ultrathin gelatin films with superior separation performance were assembled by a filtration technique on a nanofibrous scaffold.

This paper describes the characterization of new embedding resins for nanoskiving (ultramicrotomy) that contain thiols.

From a systematic investigation 32 metal–organic frameworks, we predict 6 novel hybrid materials with semiconducting properties.

The annealing of nickel-coated porous carbon structures results in a new three dimensional nanostructured graphene encapsulated nickel core–shell electrode.

Restoration of the defective sp² carbon network of graphene oxide via a dehydrohalogenation method is achieved.

Carbon nanotube porphyrin polymers have been synthesised via the click chemistry “grafting from” approach.