Controlled photonic manipulation of proteins and other nanomaterials

The ability to controllably handle the smallest materials is a fundamental enabling technology for nanoscience. Conventional optical tweezers have proven useful for manipulating microscale objects but cannot exert enough force to manipulate dielectric materials smaller than about 100 nm. Recently, several near-field optical trapping techniques have been developed that can provide higher trapping stiffness, but they tend to be limited in their ability to reversibly trap and release smaller materials due to a combination of the extremely high electromagnetic fields and the resulting local temperature rise. Here, we have developed a new form of photonic crystal "nanotweezer" that can trap and release on-command Wilson disease proteins, quantum dots, and 22 nm polymer particles with a temperature rise less than ~0.3 K, which is below the point where unwanted fluid mechanical effects will prevent trapping or damage biological targets.     

Doped semiconductor nanomaterials

The development and properties of doped nanomaterials including doped titanium dioxide, doped silicon, and doped cadmium telluride are reviewed, as well as their ultrafast dynamics. Doping nanomaterials provides a flexible way to tune to the properties of the materials while maintaining their high surface areas. The electronic, optical, photochemical, photoelectrochemical, photocatalytic and photoexcited relaxation properties can be tuned towards the desired direction by doping different elements. The materials can be engineered towards specific applications through careful selection of the dopants.     

纳米材料概述

本文简述了纳米材料的基本概念、特性、制备方法、应用以及发展前景;同时介绍了我国纳米材料研究的现状和产业化的状况.     

Microfluidic synthesis of nanomaterials

An overview of the current information and analyses on the microfluidic synthesis of different types of nanomaterial, including metallic and silica nanoparticles and quantum dots, is presented. Control of particle size, size distribution, and crystal structure of nanomaterials are examined in terms of the special features of microfluidic reactors.     

Skeletal tissues as nanomaterials

Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body and, though the fibre-forming collagens have a ‘common’ structure, it is adapted to perform a large range of functions—from the differing mechanical needs of tendon versus bone to forming a transparent support structure in the cornea. This perfidy also suggests that collagen could form a generic basis for a range of scaffold needs for tissue engineering or medical device coating applications. We at the London Centre for Nanotechnology—a joint venture between University College London and Imperial College—are taking a bottom-up approach having decided that many of the ‘accepted dogmas’ of collagen biology may not be quite as soundly based as currently held. We are using several of the tools of ‘hard’ nanotechnology—such as atomic force microscopy—to re-examine collagen structure with the longer term aim of using such information to design materials with appropriate physical attributes. Examples of our current research on mineralised and soft tissue collagens are presented.     

Design process for nanomaterials

This article begins by discussing the concept of deign process of nanomaterials and their importance in this era. Several methods which are reported earlier are discussed here for the synthesis of different dimensions (0D, 1D, 2D, and 3D) of nanoparticles. Their application in future and how they are bifacial for the society is also discussed.     

一维纳米结构材料研究进展

一维纳米材料在纳米电子学、纳米光电子学、超高密度存储和扫描探针显微镜等领域具有潜在的应用前景,已成为21世纪材料领域研究的热点.本文介绍了一维纳米材料的特性和制备方法,并阐述了一维纳米材料的应用状况和前景,以及国内外在一维纳米材料方面的研究进展.     

纳米材料在生物医学中的应用

本文介绍了纳米材料及其复合材料在生物医学领域各方面的应用     

Immunological properties of engineered nanomaterials

Most research on the toxicology of nanomaterials has focused on the effects of nanoparticles that enter the body accidentally. There has been much less research on the toxicology of nanoparticles that are used for biomedical applications, such as drug delivery or imaging, in which the nanoparticles are deliberately placed in the body. Moreover, there are no harmonized standards for assessing the toxicity of nanoparticles to the immune system (immunotoxicity). Here we review recent research on immunotoxicity, along with data on a range of nanotechnology-based drugs that are at different stages in the approval process. Research shows that nanoparticles can stimulate and/or suppress the immune responses, and that their compatibility with the immune system is largely determined by their surface chemistry. Modifying these factors can significantly reduce the immunotoxicity of nanoparticles and make them useful platforms for drug delivery.     

Antibacterial applications of elemental nanomaterials

The emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance call for the development of antibacterial substances that may be able to circumvent the resistance mechanisms of bacteria. To this end, intensive research efforts have been directed toward non-antibiotic materials with antibacterial potency. In particular, single-element inorganic nanomaterials have demonstrated promising activity against bacteria, and prominent examples of single-element inorganic nanomaterials include silver (Ag) nanoparticles, 0-, 1- and 2-dimensional carbon nanomaterials, and 2-dimensional black phosphorous (BP) nanosheets. With activity modes distinct from those of commercial antibiotics, these single-element inorganic nanomaterials have demonstrated activity against antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains and may delay the emergence of resistance in bacteria. In this review, we focus on silver (Ag) nanoparticles, 0-, 1- and 2-dimensional carbon nanomaterials, and 2-dimensional black phosphorous (BP) nanosheets, and discuss their antibacterial potency, factors that influence their antibacterial performances, as well as their cytotoxicity to mammalian cells.     

Recent progress in boron nanomaterials

Abstract

Various types of zero, one, and two-dimensional boron nanomaterials such as nanoclusters, nanowires, nanotubes, nanobelts, nanoribbons, nanosheets, and monolayer crystalline sheets named borophene have been experimentally synthesized and identified in the last 20 years. Owing to their low dimensionality, boron nanomaterials have different bonding configurations from those of three-dimensional bulk boron crystals composed of icosahedra or icosahedral fragments. The resulting intriguing physical and chemical properties of boron nanomaterials are fascinating from the viewpoint of material science. Moreover, the wide variety of boron nanomaterials themselves could be the building blocks for combining with other existing nanomaterials, molecules, atoms, and/or ions to design and create materials with new functionalities and properties. Here, the progress of the boron nanomaterials is reviewed and perspectives and future directions are described.     

稀土纳米材料的研究进展

稀土纳米材料的研究与应用将有助于发现新性质,开拓新材料,已成为当前的研究热点.本文简述了稀土纳米粉体、稀土纳米薄膜、稀土纳米陶瓷和纳米复合与组装的研究进展,介绍了在磁性材料、发光材料、催化剂、光学材料等领域稀土纳米材料的应用和进展.     

准一维纳米材料的研究现状

自从碳纳米管被发现以后,一维纳米材料作为纳电子器件的重要组成部分,其合成、材料物性以及应用已经引起了人们的广泛重视.本文从一维纳米材料的制备入手,讨论了一维纳米材料的的制备方法及其各自特点,分析了一维纳米材料形成机制,并对其表征方法做了简单的介绍,根据其特殊性能分析其潜在应用.