Call For Papers: Advanced semiconductor nanocrystals

Guest edited by Jannika Lauth, Indranath Chakraborty, Klaus Boldt and Angshuman Nag

We are delighted to announce a call for papers for our latest online themed collection in Nanoscale on advanced semiconductor nanocrystals, guest edited by Professors Jannika Lauth (University of Tübingen, Germany), Indranath Chakraborty (IIT Kharagpur, India), Klaus Boldt (University of Rostock, Germany) and Angshuman Nag (IISER Pune, India).

Colloidal semiconductor nanocrystals are among the most captivating and influential nanomaterials due to their versatility and wide range of applications. Today, advanced nanocrystals are accessible, with high control over size, shape, and anisotropy, complex structures, exceptional purity, controlled doping, and more. These nanoscale materials exhibit unique optical and electronic properties because of their quantum confinement effects. They are used in light emitters, photodetectors, catalysis, energy harvesting, and components crucial for quantum computing endeavours. With continued research and innovation, these nanomaterials promise to revolutionize various technological fields and address pressing societal challenges. A better grasp of existing processes and uncovering unknown phenomena are crucial for practical applications.

This unique compilation in Nanoscale seeks to explore emerging phenomena in semiconductor nanocrystals. We welcome ground-breaking research that sheds light on fundamental processes in advanced nanocrystals, as well as exciting and future-oriented applications of these materials. Topics of interest include, but are not restricted to:

• Quantum dots
• Perovskite nanocrystals
• 2D semiconductors
• Fundamental studies in light-matter interactions
• Luminescent nanocrystals
• Charge carrier dynamics
• Nanophotonics
• Quantum emitters
• Photodetectors
• Photovoltaics
• Photocatalysis
• Theranostics

This call for papers is open for the following article types:

• Communications
• Full papers

Open for submissions until 12 November 2024

If you would like to contribute to this themed collection, you can submit your article directly through the Nanoscale online submission system. Please mention that this submission is an open call contribution to the advanced semiconductor nanocrystals collection in the “Themed issues” section of the submission form and add a “Note to the Editor” that this is from the Open Call. The Editorial Office reserves the right to check suitability of submissions in relation to the scope of both the journal and the collection, and inclusion of accepted articles in the final themed issue is not guaranteed.

Please also note that all submissions will undergo the normal peer review processes including an initial assessment prior to peer review, and that peer review and acceptance are not guaranteed.

If you have any questions about the journal or the collection, then Edward Gardner, the Development Editor for Nanoscale, would be happy to answer them. You can contact him by emailing the journal inbox.

With best wishes,

Professor Jannika Lauth, University of Tübingen, Germany (ORCID: 0000-0002-6054-9615)
Professor Indranath Chakraborty, IIT Kharagpur, India (ORCID: 0000-0003-4195-9384)
Professor Klaus Boldt, University of Rostock, Germany (ORCID: 0000-0002-0035-2490)
Professor Angshuman Nag, IISER Pune, India (ORCID: 0000-0003-2308-334X)

Call For Papers: Superwetting nanoelectrodes for renewable energy

Guest edited by Zuankai Wang, Alex Bell, Alberto Vomiero and Xiaoming Sun

We are delighted to announce a call for papers for our latest online themed collection in Nanoscale on Superwetting nanoelectrodes for renewable energy, guest edited by Professors Zuankai Wang (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong), Alex Bell (University of California, Berkeley, USA), Alberto Vomiero (Luleå University of Technology, Sweden) and Xiaoming Sun (Beijing University of Chemical Technology, China).

Concerns about global warming from fossil fuels and high oil prices are driving up demand for renewable energy, including wind or solar powers, which currently generates about one-fifth of the electricity used worldwide and is continuously growing. Owing to the intermittent characteristic of distributed renewable energy such as wind power and photovoltaic cell, electricity powered production including hydrogen production, is put forward as the strategy of energy carrier and suppressing the power fluctuations, which lead to the demands for designing better electrode with higher stability and efficiency.

Biomimetic surfaces, which generally show regular micro/nanostructures, offer new insights to address this issue because the intrinsic activity can determine the electrocatalytic behaviours at low overpotentials near the onset, but management on bubbles have a significant influence on the slope under high overpotential where diffusion and mass transfer are more important. Although a series of nanoarray-based structured electrodes have been constructed and demonstrated with excellent performances for gas-involving electrochemical reactions, understanding of bubble wetting behaviour remains elusive. The design of nature-inspired superwetting surface topography for unique functions will spur new thinking and provide paradigm shift in the development of next-generation of new materials and devices, and dramatically extend the boundaries of renewable energy.

This special issue in Nanoscale aims to publish papers focusing on the fundamental understanding and practical applications of superwetting nanoelectrodes, covering broad topics such as:

• Construction of superwetting electrodes
• Understanding and controlling three-phase boundaries
• Mass transfer dynamics during electrocatalysis
• Bubble/droplet movement on solid surfaces
• Electrochemical reactions between different phases

This call for papers is open for the following article types:

• Communications
• Full papers

Open for submissions until 8 December 2024

If you would like to contribute to this themed collection, you can submit your article directly through the Nanoscale online submission system. Please mention that this submission is an open call contribution to the Superwetting nanoelectrodes for renewable energy collection in the “Themed issues” section of the submission form and add a “Note to the Editor” that this is from the Open Call. The Editorial Office reserves the right to check suitability of submissions in relation to the scope of both the journal and the collection, and inclusion of accepted articles in the final themed issue is not guaranteed.

Please also note that all submissions will undergo the normal peer review processes including an initial assessment prior to peer review, and that peer review and acceptance are not guaranteed.

If you have any questions about the journal or the collection, then Edward Gardner, the Development Editor for Nanoscale, would be happy to answer them. You can contact him by emailing the journal inbox.

With best wishes,

Professor Zuankai Wang, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong (ORCID: 0000-0002-3510-1122)
Professor Alex Bell, University of California, Berkeley, USA (ORCID: 0000-0002-5738-4645)
Professor Alberto Vomiero, Luleå University of Technology, Sweden (ORCID: 0000-0003-2935-1165)
Professor Xiaoming Sun, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, China (ORCID: 0000-0002-3831-6233)

Call For Papers: MXene chemistries in biology, medicine and sensing

Guest edited by Yury Gogotsi, Lucia Gemma Delogu, Acelya Yilmazer and Maksym Pogorielov

We are delighted to announce a call for papers for our latest online themed collection in Nanoscale on MXene chemistries in biology, medicine and sensing that is being guest edited by Professors Yury Gogotsi (Drexel University, USA), Lucia Gemma Delogu (University of Padua, Italy and Khalifa University, United Arab Emirates), Acelya Yilmazer (Ankara University, Turkey) and Maksym Pogorielov (Sumy State University, Ukraine and University of Latvia, Latvia).

The submissions deadline has been extended to 30 November 2024

Materials play a pivotal role in driving the progress of humanity. From the silicon age, when electronic and computer technologies revolutionized our lives, to the present, where we stand on the cusp of the age of nanomaterials, such as MXenes. MXenes represent a very large class of inorganic materials with an unparalleled diversity of structures and compositions. This sets them apart as one of the most significant recent discoveries in materials science.

These two-dimensional inorganic compounds consist of atomically thin layers of transition metal carbides, nitrides, or carbonitrides. Their versatile chemistry and unique and highly tuneable physicochemical properties have propelled them into myriad applications across various fields, ranging from energy storage to electronics and medicine.

Multiple studies have demonstrated that several MXenes are biocompatible and non-toxic to living organisms, thereby opening a door for various biomedical applications. MXene-based materials offer unique advantages in biosensing, cancer research, and regenerative medicine. The list of medical scenarios is growing every day, from the treatment of cardiovascular diseases to immunology and neuroscience.

This special-themed collection aims to provide a platform to showcase the recent progress and challenges in the field of MXenes chemistries addressing the exciting current challenges in biology, medicine and sensing. The scope of the collection is broad, including but are not limited to:

• MXene biocompatibility
• MXenes for sensing (optical sensors, chemical sensors, biosensors, gas sensors, SERS, etc)
• MXenes in cancer research
• MXenes in immunology
• MXenes for drug delivery
• MXenes as diagnostic tools
• MXenes in regenerative medicine
• MXenes in microbiology and virology
• MXenes in bioelectronics

This call for papers is open for the following article types:

• Communications
• Full papers

Open for submissions until 30 November 2024

If you would like to contribute to this themed collection, you can submit your article directly through the Nanoscale online submission system. Please mention that this submission is an open call contribution to the MXene chemistries in biology, medicine and sensing collection in the “Themed issues” section of the submission form and add a “Note to the Editor” that this is from the Open Call. The Editorial Office reserves the right to check suitability of submissions in relation to the scope of both the journal and the collection, and inclusion of accepted articles in the final themed issue is not guaranteed.

Please also note that all submissions will undergo our normal rigorous peer review processes including an initial assessment prior to peer review, and that peer review and acceptance are not guaranteed.

If you have any questions about the journal or the collection, then Edward Gardner, the Development Editor for Nanoscale, would be happy to answer them. You can contact him by emailing the journal inbox.

With best wishes,

Professor Yury Gogotsi, Drexel University, USA (ORCID: 0000-0001-9423-4032)
Professor Lucia Gemma Delogu, University of Padua, Italy and Khalifa University, United Arab Emirates (ORCID: 0000-0002-2329-7260)
Professor Acelya Yilmazer, Ankara University, Turkey (ORCID: 0000-0003-2712-7450)
Professor Maksym Pogorielov, Sumy State University, Ukraine and University of Latvia, Latvia (ORCID: 0000-0001-9372-7791)

Call For Papers: Metal nanoclusters

Guest edited by Sukhendu Mandal, Yuichi Negishi, Di Sun and Anindita Das

We are delighted to announce a call for papers for our latest online themed collection in Nanoscale on metal nanoclusters that is being guest edited by Professor Sukhendu Mandal (IISER Thiruvananthapuram, India), Professor Yuichi Negishi (Tokyo University of Science, Japan), Professor Di Sun (Shandong University, China) and Professor Anindita Das (South Methodist University, USA).

Atomically precise metal nanoclusters are novel materials that have the potential to address everyday needs from energy to health. Luminescent metal clusters can be used for effective and efficient energy harvesting and conversion technologies, while water-soluble luminescent metal clusters offer more efficient and personalized biomedical approaches. Furthermore, nanoclusters can be used as building units to form higher-dimensional cluster-assembled materials and can modulate the optoelectronic properties of desired device materials. To create a hierarchy of structures and applications, a fundamental understanding of the structure-property relationship at the atomic level is vital.

This special collection aims to look at new structures, photophysical, chemical and electrochemical catalysis reactions, and structure-property correlations within the themes of atomically precise metal nanoclusters. We wish to highlight research communicating novel structures, properties and phenomena, where applications for societal needs are appreciated as well as reports of new and exciting basic science. Prospective topics include but are not limited to:

• New nanocluster structures
• Transformation reactions
• Luminescent materials
• Light-matter interactions
• Catalysis
• Electrocatalysis
• Bio-imaging and sensing
• Drug delivery
• Optoelectronic devices
• New techniques for characterization

This call for papers is open for the following article types:

• Communications
• Full papers

Open for submissions until 1 July 2024

If you would like to contribute to this themed collection, you can submit your article directly through the Nanoscale online submission system. Please mention that this submission is an open call contribution to the metal nanoclusters collection in the “Themed issues” section of the submission form and add a “Note to the Editor” that this is from the Open Call. The Editorial Office reserves the right to check suitability of submissions in relation to the scope of both the journal and the collection, and inclusion of accepted articles in the final themed issue is not guaranteed.

Please also note that all submissions will undergo our normal rigorous peer review processes including an initial assessment prior to peer review, and that peer review and acceptance are not guaranteed.

If you have any questions about the journal or the collection, then Edward Gardner, the Development Editor for Nanoscale, would be happy to answer them. You can contact him by emailing the journal inbox.

With best wishes,

Professor Sukhendu Mandal, IISER Thiruvananthapuram, India (ORCID: 0000-0002-4725-8418)
Professor Yuichi Negishi, Tokyo University of Science, Japan (ORCID: 0000-0003-3965-1399)
Professor Di Sun, Shandong University, China (ORCID: 0000-0001-5966-1207)
Professor Anindita Das, South Methodist University, USA (ORCID: 0000-0002-8855-8265)