Themed collection Recent Review Articles

The reliability and reproducibility of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technology is still a great challenge in bio-related analysis.

Herein, the latest development of XB as a flexible linkage to fabricate functional nanomaterials in liquid and solution phases will be discussed, taking readers through the concept and features of XB to explore its functionalities and applications.

The combination of the electrospinning technique and cellulose provides a promising approach to produce nanostructured porous materials with desirable properties, enabling value-added applications in a wide range of fields.

This minireview summarizes the recent advances in the design and construction of different peptide-based hypoxia-targeting nanomaterials, followed by their mechanisms and potential applications in hypoxia-related disease therapy.

We offer a systematic summary of electrocatalysts from nano to atom scale, aiming at revealing the working mechanism of size engineering-enabled electrocatalysts in sulfur redox reaction and guiding the rational construction of Li–S batteries.

This mini-review summarizes the publications within the last 3 years on microscopically tuning the interlayer spacing, lateral size and functional group to improve the properties and separation performance of graphene oxide membranes.

This mini-review presents the science and applications of rapid heating of carbonaceous materials using radio frequency fields (1–200 MHz).

Low and high frequency ultrasonic techniques offer a green strategy to synthesize multifunctional nanoparticles from small aromatic biological molecules and proteins with tunable size, morphology, and optical and bio-functional properties.

In this mini-review, we will critically compare the applications of NBP and GO in cancer therapy focusing on material functionalization, biodegradation by design, phototherapy and immunotherapy.

Wafer-scale TMD films are fabricated via CVD method, controlling precursor concentration, nucleation density and orientated growth. Precursor concentration is important for the ideal film. Nucleation and orientated growth allow large domain size or single crystalline TMDs.

In recent years, new microwave-based imaging, sensing and hyperthermia applications have emerged in the field of diagnostics and therapy.

In this minireview, we discuss the emerging optical biosensing and bioimaging techniques that leverage the unique optical properties of gold nanoparticles.

Studies and research advances of integrated plasmon metal nanoarchitectures in fluorescence sensing applications were reviewed.

The electrochemical reversibility of the aluminum–sulfur (Al–S) battery critically depends on the physical and chemical properties of the sulfur cathode.

The catalytic performance of metal nanoparticles (NPs), including activity, selectivity, and durability, depends on their chemical composition, shape and structure at the molecular level, where reaction rates are determined by the facet exposed.

In this minireview we discuss and provide a perspective on the novel systems, the synthesis routes and the interface-mediated properties that determine the heating efficiency of hybrid magnetic nanoparticles.

This mini-review reports the most recent results on plasmonic nanocavities applied to enhanced single-molecule detection and spectroscopy.

We review several recent advancements of peptide-based nanomaterials and highlight their important roles in the application of gene therapy.

Integration of molecular photoswitches in porous materials i.e. MOFs, COFs, PAFs provides responsive materials with a variety of functions ranging from switchable gas adsorption to macroscopic actuation.

2D materials with pillared designs have shown great enhancement in specific capacity/capacitance and rate performance. In this study, we highlight the recent progress in 2D materials with pillared designs in lithium-ion storage and beyond.

This review summarizes recent developments in microneedle-based bioassays.

To explore oxide-supported single-atom catalysts (SACs) at the atomic level, a recently developed surface free energy approach may help fabricate well-defined SACs to tackle some key issues in the future.

In this review, we summarize the recent advantages of heterogeneous nanostructures for photocatalytic ammonia decomposition.

This Minireview highlights and discusses the critical role of biological interfacing in constructing nanoplasmonic sensing platforms for biointerfacial science applications.

Multinary Cu-based chalcogenide nanocrystals are unique as they consist of earth-abundant materials and offer composition-controlled optoelectronic properties for various energy applications.

This review summarizes recent developments in bioinspired flexible electronics for seamless neural interfacing and chronic recording.

This minireview summarizes the latest progresses on the synthesis and application of single-unit-cell-thick layered electrocatalysts, which have exhibited excellent performances.

This minireview summarizes several potential safety issues for solid-state lithium batteries, and the general conclusion and perspective on the research of solid-state lithium batteries with ultra-high safety are presented.

Thermo-sensitive plasmonic system made of Au and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) are exploited for various applications from optical tuning and chemical sensing to microfluidics and nanoactuation.

This review introduces the latest progress in the design of multi-functional nanomedicines for the regulation of the TME and their theranostics.

This review covers the recent progress of magnetic nanolights, fabrication strategies, and application in cancer theranostics.

An up-to-date overview of the designability and catalytic application of transition metal-loaded mesoporous organosilica nanoreactors will be highlighted. Their synthetic approaches and catalytic performance are summarized.

This review discusses the rational design of efficient electrocatalysts by understanding alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction mechanisms, as achieved by combining experimental and computational approaches.

Recent advances in growing scaled 2D single-crystal monolayer films by the chemical vapor deposition method are comprehensively presented.

Advances and challenges of CNM nanocomposite-based sensors from the period 2011–2021 are discussed.

This review highlights the very recent examples of near infrared contrast agents employed for multivariate diagnostics, multimodal imaging, and theranostic. Considerations on how to further advance these probes towards real-life use are also given.

This review highlight and summarizes the latest developments on the synthesis of TEG based composite materials for their applications in hydrogen storage, thermal energy storage, fuel cells, batteries, supercapacitors, and (bio-) sensors.

Wearable textile-based micro energy storage devices: construction, fundamental technique, functionalization.

The main synthesis methods and electrocatalytic applications of atomically precise gold nanoclusters are summarized and critically reviewed. The synthesis methods of gold nanoclusters were classified and discussed, and their applications in electrochemistry were introduced.

In this review, methods and mechanisms for enhancing photoelectrochemical water splitting using plasmonic Au nanoparticles are discussed in detail. In particular, we focus on the interface between Au particles and semiconductor photoelectrode.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are considered as one of the ideal materials due to their high surface area, high aspect ratio, and impressive material properties, such as mechanical strength, thermal and electrical conductivity.

Schematic representations of black TiO₂ preparations and its modifications to achieve benchmark hydrogen evolution.

A comprehensive review on recent advancements in breast cancer-specific biosensors for point-of-care diagnostics with a focus on emerging challenges and performance metrics.

This review presents the research progress in utilising hybrid nanostructures to address the challenges in K-ion, K–S and K–Se batteries, and highlights the promise of electrochemical potassium storage for next-generation energy storage technologies.

Low-dimensional nanomaterials make the road to electrochemical nitrogen reduction reaction clearer!

The eye is a complex structure with a variety of anatomical barriers and clearance mechanisms, so the provision of safe and effective ophthalmic drug delivery technology is a major challenge.

WO₃ nanosheets, which can be synthesized through a wide variety of both bottom-up and top-down methods, can achieve better performance than bulk WO₃ in many catalytic, sensing, electrochromic, and charge storage applications.

This review explores upconversion nanoparticles in chemical and biological sensors. With explanation of the mechanisms and opportunities for improvements, we present the versatility of UCNPs and how they can be applied in sensitive and selective sensing platforms.

Carbon dots to fight cancer.

This review summarized the recent developments of bifunctional conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) in terms of design/synthesis and their advanced applications.

This review article summarizes polyoxometalate-based photocatalysts and their application in degradation of organic pollutants from the viewpoints of structural design and mechanism study.

A new class of phase change materials based on encapsulated metal and alloy micro- and nano-particles with advanced thermophysical properties for cyclable and stable thermal energy storage/release is highlighted.

Biobased polymers can improve their performance and create new functionality through self-assembly of the nanoparticles into clusters, networks, and layered structures within the polymeric matrix.

The confirmation methods of the doped elements in element-doped graphitic carbon nitride materials are discussed in this review. The applications of element-doped graphitic carbon nitride materials are also summarized.

The schematic illustration of the new effects, advanced fabrication and crucial applications of plasmonic metal nanostructures with extremely small features.

This review provides a comprehensive understanding of the chemical structure and overall development trend for solution-processable NIR-absorbing ultra-narrow-bandgap (UNBG; below 1.5 eV) polymer donors used in organic solar cells.

Silicon (Si), a beneficial element for plants, is known for its prophylactic effect under stress conditions.

A schematic diagram of pulmonary drug delivery from the DPI formulation, which consists of drug encapsulated in polymer nanoparticles. Nanoparticles are aerosolized using a DPI device and the patient's inspiratory force for lung deposition.

In this review, the research progress for enhanced photocatalytic antibacterial performance of g-C₃N₄ based nanocomposites is discussed through different topologies, noble metal decoration, non-noble metal doping and heterojunction construction.

FVIII and immunoglobulins (Igs) are the most prominent plasma proteins, which play a vital role in plasma hemostasis.

3D hyperthermia models exhibit potential for successful translation to clinical applications as greater heat stress response is generated in cells cultured in 3D as spheroids, inserts, scaffolds and microfluidic chips than cultured as monolayers.

From shaping to functionalization of micro-droplets and particles in passive and active methods, and their applications.

Doped nanocrystalline silicon thin films, in which silicon nanocrystallites are embedded in an amorphous silicon matrix, are emerging as carrier-selective contacts for next-generation silicon heterojunction solar cells.

Batteries based on metals-ions have the potential to meet the future needs of electric vehicle applications. This article reviews the key technological developments and scientific challenges of a broad range of Li-ion, Mg-ion and Al-ion batteries for electric vehicles.

A new class of photocatalysts comprising ternary semiconductors such as BiOX joined via van der Waals forces is potential candidates for photocatalysis because of their high charge transfer ratio due to their indirect band gaps with crystallinity.

Nanotechnology is a branch of science dealing with the development of new types of nanomaterials by several methods.

Experimental and computational methods for the study of ultrasmall nanoparticle–protein interactions.

Ligand exchange reaction in monolayer-protected metal clusters is a versatile post-synthesis method to modify the surface properties of the clusters and to introduce functionality to them. Here we summarize the more recent knowledge in the field.

This review offers a comprehensive literature survey and a perspective into the possible ways of bridging the gaps between the laboratory research and industrialization of 2D nanosheet-filled epoxy composites.

Comparison of ionic conductivity (at room temperature) of different solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) prepared by the atomic layer deposition (ALD) for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs).