Emerging concepts in nucleic acids: structures, functions and applications

Guest edited by Arun Richard Chandrasekaran, Dhiraj Bhatia, Xiaogang Liu and Prabal Maiti

Nanoscale and Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics (PCCP) are delighted to introduce our latest themed collection on DNA and RNA nanotechnology, bringing recent updates in nucleic acids research under three broad themes: structure, functions and applications. The collection focuses on self-assembly, structure-function relationships, physical chemistry and biophysics of nucleic acids, new structures and new technologies involving nucleic acid modelling and simulation and various applications in biology, medicine, robotics, materials science, computing, and other fields.

You can explore the collection and read the introductory editorial from our guest editors below, with all articles free to access until the end of September 2023.

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Dr Arun Richard Chandrasekaran (University at Albany, SUNY, USA), Dr Dhiraj Bhatia (IIT Gandhinagar, India), Professor Xiaogang Liu (National University of Singapore, Singapore) and Professor Prabal Maiti (Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India) served as guest editors for this collection and highlight the importance and potential of nucleic acids for various applications in their introductory editorial.

Read the introductory editorial

Read some of the featured articles below.

Utilization of DNA and 2D metal oxide interaction for an optical biosensor
Partha Kumbhakar, Indrani Das Jana, Subhadip Basu, Sandip Mandal, Saptarshi Banerjee, Subhanita Roy, Chinmayee Chowde Gowda, Anyesha Chakraborty, Ashim Pramanik, Pooja Lahiri, Basudev Lahiri, Amreesh Chandra, Pathik Kumbhakar, Arindam Mondal, Prabal K Maiti and Chandra Sekhar Tiwary
Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2023, DOI: 10.1039/D3CP01402A

Tuning innate immune function using microneedles containing multiple classes of toll-like receptor agonists
Camilla Edwards, Robert S. Oakes and Christopher M. Jewell
Nanoscale, 2023, DOI: 10.1039/D3NR00333G

Creation of ordered 3D tubes out of DNA origami lattices
Johannes M. Parikka, Heini Järvinen, Karolina Sokołowska, Visa Ruokolainen, Nemanja Markešević, Ashwin K. Natarajan, Maija Vihinen-Ranta, Anton Kuzyk, Kosti Tapio and J. Jussi Toppari
Nanoscale, 2023, DOI: 10.1039/D2NR06001A

Mechanistic insight into the structure, thermodynamics and dynamics of equilibrium gels of multi-armed DNA nanostars
Supriyo Naskar, Dhiraj Bhatia, Shiang-Tai Lin and Prabal K. Maiti
Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2023, DOI: 10.1039/D2CP04683K

Synthesizing the biochemical and semiconductor worlds: the future of nucleic acid nanotechnology
Jacob M. Majikes and J. Alexander Liddle
Nanoscale, 2023, DOI: 10.1039/D2NR04040A

Nanoscale and PCCP are always interested in considering high-quality articles on the synthesis, function and applications of nucleic acid nanotechnology and we would be delighted if you would consider the journals for your next submission, which can be made via the Nanoscale online submission service or PCCP online submission service. All submissions will be subject to initial assessment and peer review as appropriate according to the journals’ guidelines linked above.

We hope you enjoy reading this collection and look forward to seeing how this field progresses! Please continue to submit your exciting work on DNA and RNA nanotechnology to Nanoscale and PCCP.

Nanoscale quantum technologies

Guest edited by Qing Dai, Chao-Yang Lu and Zhipei Sun

We are delighted to introduce a new online collection published in Nanoscale that provides a snapshot of recent progress in quantum technologies, including quantum materials, computing, sensing, imaging, photonics, optics and more, which we hope will inspire future developments.

Materials and structures at the nanoscale play a key role in various current and emerging quantum technologies. In the last few decades, we have witnessed significant progress in nanoscience and nanotechnology, which has enabled great successes from fundamental research to applications in quantum technologies, facilitating completely new horizons in this area.

You can explore the collection and read the introductory editorial from our guest editors below, with all articles free to access until the end of September 2023.

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Professor Qing Dai (National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, China), Professor Chao-Yang Lu (University of Science and Technology of China, China) and Professor Zhipei Sun (Aalto University, Finland), served as guest editors for this collection and highlight the importance of quantum technologies in their introductory editorial.

Read the introductory editorial

Read some of the featured articles below.

Silicon photonics interfaced with microelectronics for integrated photonic quantum technologies: a new era in advanced quantum computers and quantum communications?
Rajeev Gupta, Rajesh Singh, Anita Gehlot, Shaik Vaseem Akram, Neha Yadav, Ranjeet Brajpuriya, Ashish Yadav, Yongling Wu, Hongyu Zheng, Abhijit Biswas, Ephraim Suhir, Vikram Singh Yadav, Tanuj Kumar and Ajay Singh Verma
Nanoscale, 2023, DOI: 10.1039/D2NR05610K

Photon pairs bi-directionally emitted from a resonant metasurface
Changjin Son, Vitaliy Sultanov, Tomás Santiago-Cruz, Aravind P. Anthur, Haizhong Zhang, Ramon Paniagua-Dominguez, Leonid Krivitsky, Arseniy I. Kuznetsov and Maria V. Chekhova
Nanoscale, 2023, DOI: 10.1039/D2NR05499J

Highly-efficient radiative thermal rectifiers based on near-field gap variations
Bei Yang and Qing Dai
Nanoscale, 2022, DOI: 10.1039/D2NR04350E

Coupling spin defects in hexagonal boron nitride to titanium dioxide ring resonators
Milad Nonahal, Chi Li, Febiana Tjiptoharsono, Lu Ding, Connor Stewart, John Scott, Milos Toth, Son Tung Ha, Mehran Kianinia and Igor Aharonovich
Nanoscale, 2022, DOI: 10.1039/D2NR02522A

Synthesis of mono- and few-layered n-type WSe₂ from solid state inorganic precursors
Mauro Och, Konstantinos Anastasiou, Ioannis Leontis, Giulia Zoe Zemignani, Pawel Palczynski, Ali Mostaed, Maria S. Sokolikova, Evgeny M. Alexeev, Haoyu Bai, Alexander I. Tartakovskii, Johannes Lischner, Peter D. Nellist, Saverio Russo and Cecilia Mattevi
Nanoscale, 2022, DOI: 10.1039/D2NR03233C

Nanoscale is always interested in considering high-quality articles on on quantum materials, devices and technologies and we would be delighted if you would consider the journal for your next submission, which can be made via our online submission service. All submissions will be subject to initial assessment and peer review as appropriate according to the journal’s guidelines.

We hope you enjoy reading this collection and look forward to seeing how this field progresses! Please continue to submit your exciting work on emerging quantum technologies to Nanoscale.

A collection highlighting 2023’s rising stars of nanoscience and nanotechnology research

Nanoscale is proud to present our annual Emerging Investigators collection, recognising the rising stars of nanoscience and nanotechnology by gathering some of the very best work from researchers in the early stages of their independent careers. Each contributor was recommended by experts in their fields for carrying out work with the potential to influence future directions in nanoscience and nanotechnology.

Please join us in congratulating our featured researchers on their important work so far! You can explore the collection and profiles of our Emerging Investigators below, with all articles free to access until the end of August 2023.

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Meet the scientists

Congratulations to all of the featured researchers, we hope you enjoy reading these articles and look forward to sharing more work from early-career nano researchers with you soon!

Nanomaterials for printed electronics

Guest edited by Cinzia Casiraghi, Oana Jurchescu, Shlomo Magdassi and Wenming Su

Printed electronics have witnessed significant interest within the last few decades, in particular in conjunction with the development of the Internet of Things (IoTs). The digitization of machines, vehicles, and elements of the physical world could completely change the way we interact with objects and collect and get access to data, leading to improved quality of life and reduced costs. This collection explores a multitude of applications within the field and aims to exhibit new and exciting prospects for nanomaterials in printed electronics.

We are delighted to introduce a new online collection published in Nanoscale that explores a multitude of applications within the field and aims to exhibit new and exciting prospects for nanomaterials in printed electronics. All of the articles in the collection are free to access until the end of August 2023.

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The guest editors, Professor Cinzia Casiraghi (University of Manchester, UK), Professor Oana Jurchescu (Wake Forest University, USA), Professor Shlomo Magdassi (Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel) and Professor Wenming Su (Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, China), introduce this collection in their editorial.

Read the introductory editorial

Read some of the featured articles below.

A sprayed graphene transistor platform for rapid and low-cost chemical sensing
Benji Fenech-Salerno, Martin Holicky, Chengning Yao, Anthony E. G. Cass and Felice Torrisi
Nanoscale, 2023, DOI: 10.1039/D2NR05838C

High performance printed organic electrochromic devices based on an optimized UV curable solid-state electrolyte
Chenchao Huang, Zishou Hu, Yuan-Qiu-Qiang Yi, Xiaolian Chen, Xinzhou Wu, Wenming Su and Zheng Cui
Nanoscale, 2022, DOI: 10.1039/D2NR03209K

Visualisation of individual dopants in a conjugated polymer: sub-nanometre 3D spatial distribution and correlation with electrical properties
Gustav Persson, Emmy Järsval, Magnus Röding, Renee Kroon, Yadong Zhang, Stephen Barlow, Seth Marder, Christian Müller and Eva Olsson
Nanoscale, 2022, DOI: 10.1039/D2NR03554E

Ionic dielectrics for fully printed carbon nanotube transistors: impact of composition and induced stresses
Brittany N. Smith, Hope Meikle, James L. Doherty, Shiheng Lu, Gianna Tutoni, Matthew L. Becker, Michael J. Therien and Aaron D. Franklin
Nanoscale, 2022, DOI: 10.1039/D2NR04206A

Plasmon enhanced fluorescence from meticulously positioned gold nanoparticles, deposited by ultra sonic spray coating on organic light emitting diodes
Rachith Shanivarasanthe Nithyananda Kumar, Maarten Eerdekens, Yovan de Coene, Veda Sandeep Nagaraja, Shabnam Ahadzadeh, Melissa Vanlandeghem, Thierry Verbiest and Wim Deferme
Nanoscale Adv., 2023, DOI: 10.1039/D2NA00753C

Nanoscale is always interested in considering high-quality articles on nanomaterials for printed electronics and we would be delighted if you would consider the journal for your next submission, which can be made via our online submission service. All submissions will be subject to initial assessment and peer review as appropriate according to the journal’s guidelines.

We hope you enjoy reading this collection and look forward to seeing how this field progresses! Please continue to submit your exciting work on printed electronics to Nanoscale.

CO₂ capture and conversion

Guest edited by Elena Shevchenko, Ah-Hyung Alissa Park, Shouheng Sun and Tierui Zhang

We are delighted to introduce a new online collection published in Nanoscale on carbon dioxide capture and conversion, featuring exciting exciting research on advanced nanoscale materials and reactions!

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Understanding CO₂ capture and conversion has been essential in our efforts to build a carbon neutral/negative society and to achieve energy sustainability. Recent studies have shown that CO₂ can be captured from industry waste in more energy efficient manners and be converted more selectively via various catalytic processes to reusable chemicals and fuels. This collection focuses on theoretical and experimental CO₂  capture and reduction through thermochemical, electrochemical, photochemical, photo/electrocatalytic, biological and inorganic carbonate-based approaches, and aims to collect the latest state-of-the-art progress made in CO₂ capture and conversion into a single online collection.

The guest editors, Professor Elena Shevchenko (Argonne National Laboratory, USA), Professor A.-H. Alissa Park (Columbia University, USA), Professor Shouheng Sun (Brown University, USA) and Professor Tierui Zhang (Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China), introduce this collection in their editorial.

Read the introductory editorial

All articles in the collection are free to access until the end of March 2023. Read some of the featured articles below.

Recent advances in CO₂ capture and reduction
Kecheng Wei, Huanqin Guan, Qiang Luo, Jie He and Shouheng Sun
Nanoscale, 2022, DOI: 10.1039/D2NR02894H

A review on ZnS-based photocatalysts for CO₂ reduction in all-inorganic aqueous medium
Yuxuan Meng, Guoping Liu, Guifu Zuo, Xianguang Meng, Tao Wang and Jinhua Ye
Nanoscale, 2022, DOI: 10.1039/D2NR03703C

Enhancing the capacity of supercapacitive swing adsorption CO₂ capture by tuning charging protocols
Trevor B. Binford, Grace Mapstone, Israel Temprano and Alexander C. Forse
Nanoscale, 2022, DOI: 10.1039/D2NR00748G

Yolk–shell-type CaO-based sorbents for CO₂ capture: assessing the role of nanostructuring for the stabilization of the cyclic CO2 uptake
Maximilian Krödel, Alexander Oing, Jan Negele, Annelies Landuyt, Agnieszka Kierzkowska, Alexander H. Bork, Felix Donat and Christoph R. Müller
Nanoscale, 2022, DOI: 10.1039/D2NR04492G

Bimetallic RuNi-decorated Mg-CUK-1 for oxygen-tolerant carbon dioxide capture and conversion to methane
Timothy Zurrer, Emma Lovell, Zhaojun Han, Kang Liang, Jason Scott and Rose Amal
Nanoscale, 2022, DOI: 10.1039/D2NR03338K

We hope you enjoy reading this collection and look forward to seeing how this field progresses! Please continue to submit your exciting work on carbon dioxide capture and conversion to Nanoscale.

A collection highlighting 2022’s rising stars of nanoscience and nanotechnology research

Nanoscale is proud to present our 2022 Emerging Investigators collection, recognising the rising stars of nanoscience and nanotechnology by gathering some of the very best work from researchers in the early stages of their independent careers. Each contributor was recommended by experts in their fields for carrying out work with the potential to influence future directions in nanoscience and nanotechnology. Congratulations to all the featured researchers on their important work so far!

Read the collection

Meet the scientists

We hope you enjoy reading these articles.

Best wishes,

Dr Heather Montgomery

Managing Editor, Nanoscale