Nanoparticle synthesis

Nanoparticle synthesis

A collection of recent articles from Nanoscale Horizons and Nanoscale

Nanoscale Horizons and Nanoscale are pleased to present a collection highlighting the latest research published in the journals on nanoparticle synthesis.

Read the collection

Check out this selection of articles from the collection, with many more available online.

Role of carboxylates in the phase determination of metal sulfide nanoparticles (Open Access)
Andrey A. Shults, Guanyu Lu, Joshua D. Caldwell and Janet E. Macdonald
Nanoscale Horiz., 2023, DOI: 10.1039/D3NH00227F

Oleic acid/oleylamine ligand pair: a versatile combination in the synthesis of colloidal nanoparticles
Stefanos Mourdikoudis, Melita Menelaou, Nadesh Fiuza-Maneiro, Guangchao Zheng, Shuangying Wei, Jorge Pérez-Juste, Lakshminarayana Polavarapu and Zdeněk Sofer
Nanoscale Horiz., 2022, DOI: 10.1039/D2NH00111J

Peptoid-directed assembly of CdSe nanoparticles
Madison Monahan, Bin Cai, Tengyue Jian, Shuai Zhang, Guomin Zhu, Chun-Long Chen, James J. De Yoreo and Brandi M. Cossairt
Nanoscale, 2021, DOI: 10.1039/D0NR07509D

Intelligent control of nanoparticle synthesis through machine learning
Honglin Lv and Xueye Chen
Nanoscale, 2022, DOI: 10.1039/D2NR00124A

We would be delighted if you would consider Nanoscale Horizons or Nanoscale for your next submission, which can be made using the link below.

Submit your research

Nanoscale Horizons and Nanoscale are high-impact international journals, publishing high-quality experimental and theoretical work across the breadth of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Our broad scope covers cross-community research that bridges the various disciplines involved with nanoscience and nanotechnology.

We hope you enjoy reading this collection and will consider Nanoscale Horizons and Nanoscale for your future submissions.

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Nanoscale Horizons Emerging Investigator Series – Ran Long

Nanoscale Horizons Emerging Investigator Series

Congratulations to our latest Emerging Investigator Dr Ran Long (University of Science and Technology of China, China)!

Since the launch of Nanoscale Horizons, the journal has had a clear vision to publish exceptionally high-quality work whilst acting as a resource to researchers working at all career levels. We continue to be impressed by the quality of the research published and at the same time are looking for new ways of recognising and promoting the outstanding authors behind articles published in the journal.

Last year we launched an Emerging Investigator Series to showcase the exceptional work published by early-career researchers in the journal. We will regularly select a recently published Communication article and publish an interview-style Editorial article featuring the corresponding author. We hope that the series will also benefit the nanoscience community by highlighting the exciting work being done by its early-career members.

We are excited to share our our latest Emerging Investigators, Dr Ran Long (University of Science and Technology of China, China)!

Dr Ran Long.

 

 

Dr Ran Long received her B.S. in Chemistry in 2009, and her Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry under the tutelage of Professor Yujie Xiong in 2014, both from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). Her research interests focus on controlled synthesis and catalytic applications of metal nanocrystals.

Read our interview with Ran here

Congratulations to Dr Ran Long for her excellent work! You can read her featured Emerging Investigator article from Nanoscale Horizons below, which is free to access until the end of September 2023.

Cu and Si co-doping on TiO2 nanosheets to modulate reactive oxygen species for efficient photocatalytic methane conversion
Jun Ma, Jingxiang Low, Di Wu, Wanbing Gong, Hengjie Liu, Dong Liu, Ran Long and Yujie Xiong
Nanoscale Horizons, 2023, DOI: 10.1039/D2NH00457G

We hope you enjoy reading our interview and featured article and are looking forward to sharing our future Emerging Investigators with you!

Do you publish innovative nanoscience and nanotechnology research? Submit your latest work to Nanoscale Horizons now. If you are eligible for the Emerging Investigators series, you could be considered to feature in one of our future interviews! Find out more about the eligibility criteria and the process in this editorial introducing the series.

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Enhancing SERS activity with a pyroelectric-induced charge transfer effect

By Xiaolu Zhuo, Community Board member.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is known to be driven by two mechanisms: electromagnetic enhancement (e.g., plasmon excitation) and chemical enhancement (e.g., charge transfer). Although numerous SERS substrates have been reported and commercialized, distinguishing between these two mechanisms and controlling their contributions in real time remains a significant challenge. The challenge arises from the difficulty of accurately estimating the contribution of charge transfer and the limited ability to adjust SERS enhancement once the substrate has been prepared.

Now, a team of Chinese researchers have developed pyroelectric-responsive SERS substrates by combining a pyroelectric material, Pb(Mg,Nb)O3-PbTiO3 (PMN-PT), with plasmonic silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs). Their strategy takes advantage of the pyroelectric effect, which converts temperature fluctuations into electricity, thus modifying the charge on the surface of the SERS substrates (Fig. 1). Heating the substrates (dT/dt > 0) generates a downward electric field on the substrate surface, whereas cooling them (dT/dt < 0) generates an upward electric field. In both cases, the SERS signals can be significantly amplified due to the piezoelectric-induced charge transfer between the LUMO level of the analyte molecule and the Fermi level of Ag. During the heating and cooling processes, the intensity of SERS signals undergoes temporal changes, which can be modulated by adjusting the heating and cooling rate. Such chemical enhancement can further amplify SERS signals by over 100 times, compared to recordings obtained under steady temperature conditions based solely on plasmon excitation.

Schematic depiction of the SERS substrate based on a pyroelectric material and silver nanoparticles.

Fig. 1 Schematic depiction of the SERS substrate based on PMN-PT and Ag NPs, illustrating the signal enhancement during heating (dT/dt > 0), steady temperature (dT/dt = 0), and cooling (dT/dt < 0). Reproduced from DOI: 10.1039/D3NH00053B with permission from the Royal Society of Chemistry.

The researchers conducted systematic experimental characterizations and theoretical calculations to understand the SERS performance of these substrates in a variable temperature environment. Different analytes were used to demonstrate the universal applicability of this method. Density functional theory calculations were performed for the Ag NP-molecular system to reveal the redistribution of charge density in response to an upward or downward electric field. In order to verify the role of chemical enhancement, the researchers used a thin layer of aluminium oxide (Al2O3) as a barrier layer to prevent charge transfer between the Ag NPs and the analytes (Fig. 2). Overall, although the electromagnetic enhancement was not optimized in this strategy, the researchers provided an in-depth understanding of the SERS mechanism and the role of charge transfer in chemical enhancement.

Schematic illustration of the SERS experiment setup for understanding the SERS enhancement mechanism.

Fig. 2 Schematic illustration of the SERS experiment setup for understanding the SERS enhancement mechanism of PMN-PT/Ag NPs by depositing a 5-nm Al2O3 layer to block the charge transfer between the Ag NPs and the analyte molecules. Reproduced from DOI: 10.1039/D3NH00053B with permission from the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Furthermore, the researchers successfully demonstrated a nanocavity structure with PMN-PT/Ag/Al2O3/Ag nanocubes (Ag NCs) (Fig. 3), which can be heated by simulated sunlight irradiation and achieve SERS enhancement, obviating the need for a temperature control platform. This development could have practical benefits for real-world applications.

The SERS measurement schematic diagram, temperature distribution images and SERS spectra before and after simulated sunlight irradiation.

Fig. 3 (a) The SERS measurement schematic diagram of PMN-PT/Ag/Al2O3/Ag NC substrate under simulated sunlight irradiation. (b) The temperature distribution images of PMN-PT/Ag/Al2O3/Ag NC after the simulated sunlight turned on and off. The SERS spectra of R6G (10–7 M) (c) and CV (10–7 M) (d) before and after simulated sunlight irradiation. Reproduced from DOI: 10.1039/D3NH00053B with permission from the Royal Society of Chemistry.

In summary, the novel combination of PMN-PT and Ag NPs allows for a straightforward observation of chemical SERS enhancement and its active tuning, both of which are traditionally challenging in this field. These findings will facilitate a deeper understanding of the SERS mechanism and the development of other SERS substrates to improve the detection sensitivity.

 

To find out more, please read:

Giant enhancement of the initial SERS activity for plasmonic nanostructures via pyroelectric PMN-PT
Mingrui Shao, Di Liu, Jinxuan Lu, Xiaofei Zhao, Jing Yu, Chao Zhang, Baoyuan Man, Hui Pan and Zhen Li
Nanoscale Horiz., 2023, 8, 948–957

 


About the blogger


Photo of Xiaolu Zhuo.

 

Xiaolu Zhuo is an Assistant Professor at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, and a member of the Nanoscale Horizons Community Board. Dr Zhuo’s research lab focuses on the synthesis of plasmonic and dielectric nanoparticles, their optical behaviors, and their applications.

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Electrifying H2O2 synthesis with g-C3N4-based single atom catalysts

By Jungki Ryu, Advisory Board member.

Electrifying the synthesis of commodity chemicals can play a critical role in achieving carbon neutrality, as well as addressing global energy and environmental problems. Among the diverse range of chemicals, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has emerged as a promising green oxidant and liquid hydrogen carrier. However, H2O2 is currently produced by the anthraquinone autooxidation process under harsh conditions with huge energy consumption. Consequently, researchers have been actively exploring alternative approaches for the synthesis of H2O2 using renewable resources under milder conditions.

In this regard, extensive studies have focused on the green synthesis of H2O2 using renewable electricity and employing either electrocatalysts or photocatalysts directly powered by sunlight. Most conventional studies on electrochemical H2O2 production have been conducted under alkaline conditions, which are known to facilitate efficient H2O2 production. However, it is important to note that H2O2 becomes unstable at high pHs. Moreover, from an environmental standpoint, there is a strong desire to develop electrocatalysts that can operate at neutral pH.

In this context, a recent paper by Yang et al. reports very interesting results. The researchers prepared graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets (CNNS) embedded with various transition metal single atoms (TM SAs) and discovered that TM SA-embedded CNNS show high electrocatalytic activity for H2O2 production at neutral pHs. Among the various TM SAs tested, Ni SAs on CNNS were particularly effective and showed the highest mass-specific activity of ∼503 mmol gcat1 h1 and H2O2 selectivity of ~98%. According to their mechanistic analysis, the introduction of TM SA promotes the formation of N-C=N sites, which are beneficial for H2O2 production via a two-electron oxygen reduction reaction (2e ORR), while suppressing the formation of C-C/C=C sites, which are beneficial for H2O production via a 4e ORR. This suggests the excellent function of g-C3N4 as a support for TM SAs in selectively producing H2O2.

Scheme showing H2O2 production from H2O and O2 on a modified graphitic carbon nitride sheet.

Fig. 1 Schematic of H2O2 production from H2O and O2 on a transition metal embedded graphitic carbon nitride sheet. Reproduced from DOI: 10.1039/D2NH00564F with permission from the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Notably, this paper is also intriguing from an academic perspective, as it demonstrates the efficient use of g-C3N4 as a support material for electrocatalysts, deviating from its traditional application as a photocatalyst in conventional studies. The findings offer new insights into the potential of g-C3N4 in catalytic systems and open avenues for further research in the field of sustainable chemical synthesis.

 

To find out more, please read:

Transition metal single atom-optimized g-C3N4 for the highly selective electrosynthesis of H2O2 under neutral electrolytes
Hongcen Yang, Fei Ma, Niandi Lu, Shuhao Tian, Guo Liu, Ying Wang, Zhixia Wang, Di Wang, Kun Tao, Hong Zhang and Shanglong Peng
Nanoscale Horiz., 2023, 8, 695–704

 


About the blogger


Photo of Jungki Ryu.

 

Jungki Ryu is a ​P​rofessor at ​Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) and member of the Nanoscale Horizons Advisory Board. Prof. Ryu’s research focuses on developing innovative electrochemical and photoelectrochemical systems using nanomaterials​ for hydrogen production, CO2 conversion and biomass/waste utilization. You can follow Jungki on Twitter @jungki1981

 

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siRNA-loaded DNA nanostructures restore endothelial leakiness

By Arun Richard Chandrasekaran, Community Board member.

Drug delivery and targeted treatment of diseases is one of the prominent focus areas of recent research. Development of new therapeutic approaches involving novel drug delivery materials (e.g., nanomaterials) requires validation that these materials do not affect the existing properties of the cellular environment. Now, researchers from the Third Military Medical University (China) and National University of Singapore (Singapore) have found that DNA-nanostructure-based drug delivery vehicles do not affect the cellular environment as previously thought, but in fact aid in restoring endothelial leakiness in vascular diseases.

For proper cellular function, endothelial barriers maintain vascular permeability by which essential nutrients and oxygen reaches the target tissues. Several diseases and inflammations cause endothelial leakiness, which in turn leads to disease progress and ineffective treatments. Now, researchers use cell and mouse models of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a lung disease, to demonstrate that DNA-based therapeutic carriers can effectively restore the endothelial barrier. They developed a triangular DNA structure and loaded small-interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules that target specific disease-associated genes. In this case, the researchers targeted the Atg101 gene that causes autophagy and in turn affects endothelial leakiness. They found that the siRNA-loaded DNA carriers were taken up by cells and reduced endothelial gaps to 0.3% compared to untreated cells that showed 10% endothelial gaps, thus providing a 30-fold improvement. This treatment was specific to the siRNA cargo loaded in the structure. When they used a random siRNA sequence loaded on to the DNA structures, there was no improvement in endothelial gaps. The group then tested the siRNA-loaded DNA structures in mice and found that the drug-loaded DNA structures provided protection against right ventricular and pulmonary artery dysfunction, a promising step forward to creating a treatment strategy for such diseases.

Fig. 1 (A) Design of DNA aptamer and Atg101 siRNA (siAtg101) conjugated DNA nanostructures. DNA aptamers are positioned either at the protruding points (DTA-V1) or the corners of the structure core (DTA-V2). (B) Aptamer-decorated DNA nanostructures bind to HPAECs and are subsequently internalized (C and D). The DNA nanostructures might be internalized through aptamer-mediated endocytosis. The embedded siRNA takes effect and restores endothelial integrity similar to the reversal of “NanoEL”. Reproduced from DOI: 10.1039/D2NH00348A with permission from the Royal Society of Chemistry.

This study provides new information on how nanomaterials interact with biological systems and affect cellular environment such as endothelial leakiness which is typically associated with tumor regions. As DNA structures could successfully delivery siRNA molecules to suppress endothelial leakiness related to a vascular disease, this study opens up the possibility of using DNA-based drug delivery carriers in therapeutics approaches beyond just cancer.

 

To find out more, please read:

Attenuating endothelial leakiness with self-assembled DNA nanostructures for pulmonary arterial hypertension
Qian Liu, Di Wu, Binfeng He, Xiaotong Ding, Yu Xu, Ying Wang, Mingzhou Zhang, Hang Qian, David Tai Leong and Guansong Wang
Nanoscale Horiz., 2023, 8, 270–278

 


About the blogger


Photo of Arun Richard Chandrasekaran.

 

Arun Richard Chandrasekaran is a Senior Research Scientist at The RNA Institute at the University at Albany, State University of New York, and member of the Nanoscale Horizons Community Board. Dr Chandrasekaran’s research lab focusses on using DNA as a material to build nanoscale structures, with applications in drug delivery, data storage and crystallography. You can follow Arun on Twitter @arunrichardc

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Celebrating the 120th anniversary of Southeast University with a collection on new horizons in materials for energy conversion, optics and electronics

New horizons in materials for energy conversion, optics and electronics

Guest edited by Jinlan Wang, Yuanjian Zhang, Seeram Ramakrishna and Guihua Yu

We are delighted to introduce a collection published in Nanoscale Horizons and Materials Horizons in conjunction with the Emerging Investigator Forum celebrating the 120th anniversary of Southeast University, China. This collection focuses on energy conversion, optics, and electronics applications of (nano)materials and provides an overview of the most frequently used experimental approaches and theoretical methods for energy conversion and storage, connecting different communities to identify common challenges in the field. All of the articles in the collection are free to access until the end of August 2023.

Read the collection

Professor Jinlan Wang, Professor Yuanjian Zhang, Professor Seeram Ramakrishna and Professor Guihua Yu.

Professor Jinlan Wang (Southeast University, China), Professor Yuanjian Zhang (Southeast University, China), Professor Seeram Ramakrishna (National University of Singapore, Singapore) and Professor Guihua Yu (The University of Texas at Austin, USA) served as guest editors for this special collection and introduce the importance of these topics in their introductory editorial.

Read the editorial

Read some of the featured articles below.

Flexible two-dimensional MXene-based antennas
Xingce Fan, Xiaohu Zhang, Ya Li, Hongjun He, Qixing Wang, Leilei Lan, Wenzhe Song, Teng Qiu and Weibing Lu
Nanoscale Horiz., 2023, DOI: 10.1039/D2NH00556E

Discovering layered lead-free perovskite solar absorbers via cation transmutation
Ming Chen, Zhicheng Shan, Xiaofeng Dong, Shengzhong (Frank) Liu and Zhuo Xu
Nanoscale Horiz., 2023, DOI: 10.1039/D2NH00499B

Eco-friendly inorganic molecular novel antiperovskites for light-emitting application
Jiawei Luo, Qun Ji, Yilei Wu, Xinying Gao, Jinlan Wang and Ming-Gang Ju
Mater. Horiz., 2023, DOI: 10.1039/D2MH01216B

A self-healing polymerized-ionic-liquid-based polymer electrolyte enables a long lifespan and dendrite-free solid-state Li metal batteries at room temperature
Xiujing Lin, Shiyuan Xu, Yuqi Tong, Xinshuang Liu, Zeyu Liu, Pan Li, Ruiqing Liu, Xiaomiao Feng, Li Shi and Yanwen Ma
Mater. Horiz., 2023, DOI: 10.1039/D2MH01289H

 

Nanoscale Horizons and Materials Horizons are always interested in considering exceptional articles on nano(materials) for energy, optical and electronics applications and we would be delighted if you would consider the journals for your future submissions. Submissions to the journals can be made via the Nanoscale Horizons online submission service or the Materials Horizons online submission service. All submissions are subject to a full assessment by the editorial team according to the journals’ guidelines, and peer review and acceptance cannot be guaranteed.

We hope you enjoy reading this collection!

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Congratulations to the winners of the RSC prizes at Graphene 2023

Graphene 2023 took place in Manchester, UK from 27–30 June 2023. Nanoscale Horizons, Nanoscale, Nanoscale Advances, and RSC Applied Interfaces were delighted to attend and provide poster prizes for the excellent posters shared during the conference. Please join us in congratulating our winners!

Xiaofang Kang.

 

Nanoscale Horizons Poster Prize

Xiaofang Kang (Leiden University, Netherlands)
Poster Title: “Selective proton channel in monolayer graphene tuned by sulfophenylation of CVD graphene”

Xiaofang Kang is a Ph.D. student at the Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, under the supervision of Assoc. Prof. Grégory Schneider. She obtained her B.S. (2017) in Materials Science and Engineering from Beijing University of Technology, and M.S. (2020) in Nano Science from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Her current research focuses on the utilization of graphene as a proton transport membrane to enhance proton conductivity through the surface functionalization of graphene, while also investigating the underlying mechanisms that influence proton transport on the graphene surface.

 

 

Hyeonwoo Cho.

 

Nanoscale Poster Prize

Hyeonwoo Cho (Seoul National University, South Korea)
Poster Title: “Incorporating graphene-quantum-dots into lithium-sulfur batteries for enhanced electrochemical performance with optimized sulfur nucleation”

Hyeonwoo Cho is an integrated M.S. and Ph.D. student in the Department of Chemistry at Seoul National University, working under the guidance of Professor Byung Hee Hong. Her research focuses on exploring the potential application of nano materials with a graphene lattice, including graphene and GQDs, in the field of batteries.

 

 

Mohammad Israil Hossain.

 

Nanoscale Advances Poster Prize

Mohammad Israil Hossain (University of Manchester, UK)
Poster Title: “Synthesis of core-shell nanostructure graphene oxide-vortex rings (GO-VRs) for heavy metal purification”

Md. Israil Hossain (Rafi) is a PhD researcher in nano and functional materials at the University of Manchester, under the supervision of Prof. Aravind Vijayaraghavan. His research is focused on graphene-based composite nanomaterials and water purification. He has been awarded Commonwealth Scholarship-2020 Doc Research, UK. He obtained M.Sc. in Leather Engineering (2018) and B.Sc. in Footwear Engineering (2016) from the Institute of Leather Engineering and Technology, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. He was granted the Young Scientist award-2021. He worked as a technical expert at ECOLEBAN Bangladesh joint project (Bangladesh and Spain) funded by SwitchAsia.eu. He has experience working with some other national and international organizations as well. He is an adjunct faculty and former Assistant Professor at the Ethiopian Institute of Textile and Fashion Technology, Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia.

 

 

Andrew Connolly.

 

RSC Applied Interfaces Poster Prize

Andrew Connolly (University of Manchester, UK)
Poster Title: “Graphene reinforcement of CuW composites for high-voltage circuit breaker applications”

Andrew Connolly is a PhD student in at the University of Manchester’s Department of Materials. He is a member of the Advanced Materials research group, under the supervision of Prof. Ian Kinloch and Dr. Mark Bissett. He obtained his BA(Mod) in physics from Trinity College Dublin in 2020. He joined the University of Manchester as an MPhil student in the same year, before transferring to a PhD position in 2021. His work centres around modifying the properties of copper tungsten (CuW) metal matrix composites using graphene fillers, with a particular focus on improving electrical arcing resistance in electrical infrastructure-grade switching gear.

 

 

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Nanocatalysis

Nanocatalysis

A collection of recent articles from Nanoscale Horizons, Nanoscale and ChemComm

Nanoscale Horizons, Nanoscale and ChemComm are pleased to present a collection highlighting the latest nanocatalysis research published in the journals.

Read the collection

Check out this selection of articles from the collection, with many more available online.

Synthesis of monodisperse high entropy alloy nanocatalysts from core@shell nanoparticles
Yifan Chen, Xun Zhan, Sandra L. A. Bueno, Ibrahim H. Shafei, Hannah M. Ashberry, Kaustav Chatterjee, Lin Xu, Yawen Tang and Sara E. Skrabalak
Nanoscale Horizons, 2021, DOI: 10.1039/D0NH00656D

Rare earth element based single-atom catalysts: synthesis, characterization and applications in photo/electro-catalytic reactions
Zhong Liang, Leilei Yin, Hang Yin, Zongyou Yin and Yaping Du
Nanoscale Horizons, 2022, DOI: 10.1039/D1NH00459J

Synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles–enzyme–polymer conjugate hybrids as dual-activity catalysts for chemoenzymatic cascade reactions (Open Access)
Janne M. Naapuri, Noelia Losada-Garcia, Jan Deska, Jose M. Palomo
Nanoscale, 2022, DOI: 10.1039/D2NR00361A

Redox-active Sn(ii) to lead to SnFe2O4 spinel as a bi-functional water splitting catalyst
Anubha Rajput, Amit Anand Pandey, Avinava Kundu and Biswarup Chakraborty
ChemComm, 2023, DOI: 10.1039/D3CC00947E

We would be delighted if you would consider Nanoscale Horizons, Nanoscale or ChemComm for your next submission, which can be made using the button below.

Submit your research

Nanoscale and Nanoscale Horizons are high-impact international journals, publishing high-quality experimental and theoretical work across the breadth of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Our broad scope covers cross-community research that bridges the various disciplines involved with nanoscience and nanotechnology.

ChemComm is the Royal Society of Chemistry’s journal for short communications of outstanding significance from across the chemical sciences. The RSC’s most cited journal, ChemComm has been one of the most trusted chemistry journals for over 50 years. Our scope covers all topics in chemistry, and research at the interface of chemistry and other disciplines (such as materials science, nanoscience, physics, engineering and biology) where there is significant novelty in the chemistry aspects.

We hope you enjoy reading this collection and will consider Nanoscale Horizons, Nanoscale and ChemComm for your future submissions.

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Nanomaterials for energy

Nanomaterials for Energy

A collection of recent articles from Nanoscale Horizons and Nanoscale

Nanoscale Horizons and Nanoscale are pleased to present a collection highlighting the latest energy research published in the journals.

Read the collection

Check out this selection of articles from the collection. All articles are free to access until the end of May 2023.

Performance optimization strategies of halide perovskite-based mechanical energy harvesters (Open Access)
Feng Jiang and Pooi See Lee
Nanoscale Horizons, 2022, DOI: 10.1039/D2NH00229A

Hydroxide ion-conducting viologen–bakelite organic frameworks for flexible solid-state zinc–air battery applications
Deepak Rase, Rajith Illathvalappil, Himan Dev Singh, Pragalbh Shekhar, Liya S Leo, Debanjan Chakraborty, Sattwick Haldar, Ankita Shelke, Thalasseril G. Ajithkumar and Ramanathan Vaidhyanathan
Nanoscale Horizons, 2023, DOI: 10.1039/D2NH00455K

Photodoping of metal oxide nanocrystals for multi-charge accumulation and light-driven energy storage (Open Access)
Michele Ghini, Nicola Curreli, Andrea Camellini, Mengjiao Wang, Aswin Asaithambi and Ilka Kriegel
Nanoscale, 2021, DOI: 10.1039/D0NR09163D

Co-construction of sulfur vacancies and carbon confinement in V5S8/CNFs to induce an ultra-stable performance for half/full sodium-ion and potassium-ion batteries
Lihong Xu, Xiaochuan Chen, Wenti Guo, Lingxing Zeng, Tao Yang, Peixun Xiong, Qinghua Chen, Jianmin Zhang, Mingdeng Wei and Qingrong Qian
Nanoscale, 2021, DOI: 10.1039/D0NR08788B

We would be delighted if you would consider Nanoscale Horizons or Nanoscale for your next submission, which can be made using the buttons below.

Submit your research to Nanoscale Horizons or submit your research to Nanoscale

Nanoscale and Nanoscale Horizons are high-impact international journals, publishing high-quality experimental and theoretical work across the breadth of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Our broad scope covers cross-community research that bridges the various disciplines involved with nanoscience and nanotechnology.

We hope you enjoy reading this collection and will consider Nanoscale Horizons and Nanoscale for your future submissions.

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Introducing our new Nanoscale Horizons Advisory Board members

Join us in welcoming our new Advisory Board members, Jungki Ryu, Nobuhiko Hosono, Nobuhiro Yanai and Wenzhou Wu.

Nanoscale Horizons is proud to announce that three of our previous Community Board members have been promoted to the Advisory Board. Find below the biographies of each of our new advisory board members along with some of their insight into their work with the board and in their research areas.

 

Jungki Ryu, UNIST, South Korea

Photo of Jungki Ryu

 

Jungki Ryu received his BS and PhD degrees in Materials Science and Engineering from Yonsei University in 2006 and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in 2011, respectively. After postdoctoral training at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for three years, he joined the UNIST School of Energy and Chemical Engineering in 2014 where he is currently working as an associate professor. He is also an adjunct professor of the UNIST Graduate School of Carbon Neutrality and a director of the Centre for Renewable Carbon. His research interest include the development of electrocatalysts and their application in solar fuel production, biomass conversion and utilization, and electrochemical waste refinery.

What does it mean to you to join the Advisory Board of Nanoscale Horizons?

“Joining the Advisory Board of Nanoscale Horizons is an exceptional opportunity and honour for me. It signifies recognition of my expertise in the field of nanoscale science and materials chemistry. It also demonstrates my commitment to advancing scientific research and innovation in this domain. As a member of the Advisory Board, I am eager to contribute to the journal’s mission to serve a venue for original research with a new concept or a conceptual advance. “

 What is the current biggest challenge you face in your field?

“My primary research interest is developing innovative materials, devices, and systems for (photo)electrochemical energy conversion. As we strive towards carbon neutrality through electrification and decarbonization, there is a growing interest in electrochemical and photoelectrochemical technologies. However, their translation into reality poses significant challenges, primarily in terms of low efficiency and high energy costs. To overcome these obstacles, it has become increasingly crucial to not only focus on materials development through nanoengineering but also explore the development of innovative hybrid systems. By combining different approaches and leveraging the potential of the hybrid system, we can address some of the current limitations and pave the way for more efficient and cost-effective electrochemical systems. In this context, the importance of Nanoscale Horizons becomes evident as it provides a platform for studies with new concepts or conceptual advances.”

Where do you see the materials chemistry field in the next 10 years?

“Despite the challenges we encounter in addressing global warming issues, I remain highly optimistic about the role of materials chemistry in finding solutions for achieving carbon neutrality. In particular, I anticipate that the field of materials chemistry will increasingly prioritize the sustainable utilization of limited resources. This entails not only advancing research on energy materials and devices but also emphasizing atom-efficient synthesis and utilization of raw materials, as well as the recovery and recycling of waste materials.”

 

Nobuhiko Hosono, University of Tokyo, Japan

Photo of Nobuhiko Hosono

 

Nobuhiko Hosono received his Ph.D. in polymer chemistry at the University of Tokyo in 2011. From 2011 to 2013, he worked at Eindhoven University of Technology as a research fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS). In 2014, he was promoted to Assistant Professor of the Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (iCeMS), Kyoto University. In 2018, he was appointed Lecturer at The University of Tokyo. In 2021, he was promoted to Associate Professor of Graduate School of Engineering, the University of Tokyo. He specializes in materials science with a focus on polymer chemistry, physics, and self-assembly, and is currently working on the development of polymer recognition technologies using highly-designed porous media, such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).

What in your field are you most excited about?

“Expectations for the development of sequencing technology for synthetic polymers: while sequencing technology for DNA and peptides has been vigorously studied and developed, sequencing technology for synthetic polymers is still in its infancy. Sequencing of synthetic polymers gives polymers that have been treated as materials a new role as information carriers. This realisation is expected to lead to breakthroughs not only in the field of chemistry.”

Where do you see the materials chemistry field in the next 10 years?

“The fusion of materials science and information science is the most feasible and exciting prospect. Such fusion research has already begun. I believe that the seamless integration of these disciplines will improve various technical aspects, including structural analysis and property prediction, and will significantly facilitate all research activities.”

Why do you feel that researchers should choose to publish their work in Nanoscale Horizons?

“As mentioned above, I believe that developing interdisciplinary research across disciplines is important for the development of nanoscience and nanotechnology research, and Nanoscale Horizons is a communication forum that brings together researchers from different disciplines with high quality research results. It is without doubt the most effective medium for sharing our new concepts and methods.”

 

Nobuhiro Yanai, Kyushu University, Japan

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Nobuhiro Yanai is an Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Chemistry at Kyushu University, Japan. He earned his Ph.D. from Kyoto University in 2011 under Prof. Susumu Kitagawa and Prof. Takashi Uemura on guest properties in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)/porous coordination polymers (PCPs). He was a postdoctoral fellow with Prof. Steve Granick at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, experiencing colloid and soft matter sciences. He joined Kyushu University in 2012. He is currently leading a group that creates photo-functional materials, working on photon up-conversion, dynamic nuclear polarization, and quantum materials. He received several awards including The Wiley Young Researcher Award, The APA (Asian and Oceanian Photochemistry Association) Prize for Young Scientists, and Award for Young Chemists, Chemical Society of Japan (CSJ).

What is the current biggest challenge you face in your field?

“In the field of materials for photon upconversion and singlet fission involving triplet excited states, the key challenge is to develop materials that combine efficiency and stability and find applications that would not be possible without such materials.”

Where do you see the materials chemistry field in the next 10 years?

“In the direction of controlling and applying quantum states, the precise design and synthesis of quantum materials will be critical. Materials chemistry would play a major role in this quantum era over the next decade.”

 

Wenzhou Wu, Perdue University, USA

 

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Dr. Wenzhuo Wu is the Ravi and Eleanor Talwar Rising Star Associate Professor in the School of Industrial Engineering at Purdue University. He received his Ph.D. from Georgia Institute of Technology in Materials Science and Engineering in 2013. Dr. Wu’s research interests include designing, manufacturing, and integrating nanomaterials for applications in wearable devices, nanoelectronics, and clean energy. He was a recipient of the Oak Ridge Associated Universities Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, the IOP Semiconductor Science and Technology Best Early Career Research, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers Barbara M. Fossum Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award, Journal of Materials Chemistry A Emerging Investigator, Advanced Materials Interfaces Hall of Fame, ARO Young Investigator Award, NSF Early CAREER Award, the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) Functional Materials Division (FMD) Young Leaders Professional Development Award, Advanced Materials Technologies Hall of Fame, an invited participant at the 2022 China-America Frontiers of Engineering Symposium, an invited participant in the first U.S.-Africa Frontiers of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Symposium in 2022, the 2022 Sensors Young Investigator Award, an elected Fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC), and an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA).

 

What does it mean to you to join the Advisory Board of Nanoscale Horizons?

“Joining the Advisory Board of Nanoscale Horizons is an honour and a responsibility of great magnitude. As a member of the Advisory Board, I value the chance to influence the journal’s direction and advance nanotechnology by choosing and evaluating research articles. In addition, serving on the Advisory Board of Nanoscale Horizons enables me to network and engage with other distinguished scholars, editors, and nanotechnology professionals. I hope that my knowledge will guide the editorial decisions, ensuring that Nanoscale Horizons publishes only rigorous and impactful research. Joining the Advisory Board of Nanoscale Horizons also provides me the opportunity to contribute to the growth and dissemination of nanotechnology-related knowledge.”

What is the current biggest challenge you face in your field?

“My research focuses on nanomanufacturing for ubiquitous sensors, renewable energy, and emerging electronics. The biggest challenge lies in the deterministic synthesis and integration of nanomaterials with precise control and scalability in both the bottom-up assembly and top-down fabrication processes.”

What in your field are you most excited about?

“I am most excited about the potential to fuse the physical and digital worlds with more capable human-integrated devices by innovating manufacturable nanotechnologies.”

Where do you see the materials chemistry field in the next 10 years?

“In the next 10 years, materials chemistry is poised for significant advancements and transformative breakthroughs. I think we can expect to see exciting progress and new developments in areas such as self-driving automatic labs for accelerating the discovery and production of new materials, advanced energy materials, and sustainable materials for healthcare.”

Why do you feel that researchers should choose to publish their work in Nanoscale Horizons?

“The interdisciplinary emphasis of Nanoscale Horizons gives nanotechnology researchers, scientists, and professionals broad visibility and exposure. In addition, Nanoscale Horizons offers a rapid publication procedure. In light of this, I encourage researchers to submit their impactful work in Nanoscale Horizons.”

 

 

Call for Nominations

In light of our new Advisory Board members, we are now seeking engaged and interested early career researchers to join our Community Board.

We are inviting nominations for both Materials Horizons and Nanoscale Horizons at this time, please do feel free to state a preference of journal in your nomination, however this is not mandatory, and each nomination will be assessed for suitability for both Journals.

For eligibility and how to nominate please see our Call for Nominations blog for full details.

The deadline for submission of nominations is 19th July 2023.

For more information, please refer to the Materials and Nanoscale Horizons Community Board FAQs.

To find out more about the journal and for a list of current Community Board members, please visit the journal webpages at: rsc.li/materials-horizons and rsc.li/nanoscale-horizons.

 

 

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