Open Call for Papers – Nanomedicines for Crossing Biological Barriers

Guest Edited by Lucie Sancey, Ariane Boudier, Elise Lepeltier , Marie-Pierre Rols, Jeanne Leblond Chain, and Nguyễn T. K. Thanh

Nanoscale is pleased to announce an open call for papers to an upcoming special collection on Nanomedicines for crossing biological barriers. This collection is guest edited by Lucie Sancey (Institute for Advanced Biosciences, CNRS, France ),  Professor Ariane Boudier (University of Lorraine, France), Professor Elise Lepeltier (University of Angers, France), Marie-Pierre Rols (The Institute of Pharmacology and Structural Biology, CNRS, France), Jeanne Leblond Chain (University of Bordeaux, France), and Professor Nguyễn T. K. Thanh (University College London, UK).

Nanotechnologies have opened very promising opportunities to treat diseases with the design of nanomaterials able to cross the different biological barriers encountered and to interact specifically with diseased tissues. Whatever the administration route, numerous biological, physical and chemical barriers have to be overcome: endothelium, macrophages, endosome, mucus, surfactants, pH, enzymes etc. In nanomedicine, the goal is to develop multimodal nanoplatforms to speed up targeted diagnosis, to increase its sensitivity, reliability and specificity for a better management of diseases (patient’s care) and to treat them in a targeted and personalized manner.

In the SFNano 2024 workshop, new approaches for nanomedicine in the imaging, diagnosis and theranostic fields are presented, with a special focus on the nanomaterial chemistry (e.g., polymers, DNA, RNA, peptides, proteins, carbohydrates lipids, gels), in the context of infectious, cardiovascular and immune diseases, vaccination, and cancers. A special light was placed on translational studies from scale up to clinical applications. Indeed, for further translation in clinics of such nanoplatforms, a key step is the scaling-up of these nanoplatforms by taking into account environmental considerations and GMP conditions and regulatory constrains. Therefore, a key challenge today is the development of scaled-up synthesis methods such a continuous flow synthesis of water-based synthesis and also the analysis/control of by-products at each synthesis steps.

This collection will be aligned with the SFNano 2024 workshop and will cover several crucial aspects of nanomedicine:

• Design, synthesis, formulation & characterization of nanomaterials: inorganic or organic nanoparticles, gel
• In vitro and in vivo validation of nanomedicine
• Multimodal Imaging (e.g. MRI, MPI, SPECT, PET, ultrasound)
• Multimodal therapy (e.g, hyperthermia, chemo therapy)
• Translation studies for infectious, cardiovascular and immune diseases, vaccination and cancers
• Scaling-up strategies for clinical applications.

Open for submissions until 16 March 2025

How to submit

Articles can be submitted at any time before the deadline via the journal’s online submission system for Nanoscale. Accepted articles will be published in a citeable format in regular journal issues as soon as possible and collated into the themed collection online. We are looking forward to receiving your submission, which is welcomed any time before the 16 March 2025 so that this collection can become available to you and the community as soon as possible.

Please note that Nanoscale is a hybrid (transformative) journal, and articles can be published either via the usual subscription model or open access (article processing charges are required).  When ready, please submit your article directly to the submission system for Nanoscale. Please mention that your submission is a contribution to the  “Nanomedicines for Crossing Biological Barriers” collection in the “Themed Issues” section of the submission form and is in response to the Open Call.

Please note that all submissions will be subject to initial assessment and rigorous peer review to meet the usual high standards of Nanoscale. All articles featured in the collection must be in scope and as such final inclusion is not guaranteed and will be up to the discretion of the guest editors.

We look forward to receiving your latest work and considering it for this collection. Please do get in touch at nanoscale-rsc@rsc.org if you have any questions at all.

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)