Ana María Méndez-Torres, Rubén Oñate, Ana Pizarro, Dany S Monje, Nicolás Montenegro-Pohlhammer, Nadim Darwish, Diego Cortés-Arriagada, Gloria Cárdenas-Jirón, Ingrid Ponce
{"title":"Molecular switches and real-time ion sensing in pyridinium circuits <i>via</i> a single-molecule STM-break junction.","authors":"Ana María Méndez-Torres, Rubén Oñate, Ana Pizarro, Dany S Monje, Nicolás Montenegro-Pohlhammer, Nadim Darwish, Diego Cortés-Arriagada, Gloria Cárdenas-Jirón, Ingrid Ponce","doi":"10.1039/d5nh00422e","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nh00422e","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The functional electronic and spectro-electrochemical properties of two structural pyridinium isomers, Py_Down-BF<sub>4</sub> and Py_Up-BF<sub>4</sub>, were studied at the single-molecule level using the STM-BJ technique. These isomers differ in the position of the redox-active pyridinium core. The aim was to identify the role of core's position in promoting reversible switching between electromers (redox isomers) in solution and at the gold-pyridinium-gold junction circuit. We measured the single-molecule conductance of each pyridinium isomer in various electrolyte environments using tetrabutylammonium salts (TBABF<sub>4</sub>, TBAPF<sub>6</sub>, TBABr, and TBACl). The choice of electrolytes played a crucial role in the histograms' shapes-junction distribution, width, and peak position-which act as unique conductance fingerprints for each isomer. During STM-BJ measurements, a dynamic evolution in the conductance histograms was determined, particularly with the electrolytes TBAPF<sub>6</sub> and TBABF<sub>4</sub>. This behavior was attributed to the real-time detection of interactions between the positively charged pyridinium core and the electrolyte anions within the gold-pyridinium-gold junction. The dynamic evolution in single-molecule conductance was rationalized by the Gibbs free energies (Δ<i>G</i>) for the anion-cation pairs obtained from density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Furthermore, the theoretical trend predicted by DFT combined with the Keldysh nonequilibrium Green's function (NEGF) formalism (DFT-NEGF) was consistent with the experimental results.</p>","PeriodicalId":93,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145013466","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Robust dehydrofluorination of HFC-245fa to HFO-1234ze <i>via in situ</i> VOFx formation over a non-oxalic acid assisted V<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>/γ-Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> catalyst.","authors":"Fizzah Fatima, Mudadla Umamaheswara Rao, Guo-Ping Chang-Chien, Srinivaas Masimukku, Giridhar Madras, Gedu Satyanarayana, Subrahmanyam Challapalli","doi":"10.1039/d5nh00366k","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nh00366k","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The demand for trans-1,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene [HFO-1234ze(E)] as a next-generation, low-global-warming-potential (GWP) refrigerant is rising due to international restrictions on high-GWP refrigerants like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). Catalytic dehydrofluorination of HFC-245fa offers a viable synthesis route for the production of HFO-1234ze(E), but the catalyst degradation under harsh acidic conditions remains a major challenge. In this study, a highly stable γ-Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> supported catalyst was developed for efficient dehydrofluorination with vanadium species exhibiting the highest activity among the screened metal ions Ni<sup>2+</sup>, V<sup>5+</sup>, Zn<sup>2+</sup>, La<sup>3+</sup>, Fe<sup>3+</sup>, Mn<sup>2+</sup> and Cu<sup>2+</sup>. The optimized 15 wt% V<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>/γ-Al<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> catalyst, prepared without oxalic acid assistance, exhibited strong metal-support interactions and demonstrated superior catalytic performance achieving ∼95% HFC-245fa conversion. The catalyst activity increased from 1.3 to 2.1 μmol s<sup>-1</sup> g<sub>cat</sub><sup>-1</sup> due to the formation of <i>in situ</i> VOFx species generated through the interaction between V<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub> and HF, as confirmed from NH<sub>3</sub>-TPD and XPS analysis. The catalyst also exhibited ∼81% selectivity towards HFO-1234ze(E) at 350 °C. It is noteworthy that the catalyst maintained a stable performance up to 74 h, without significant deactivation. Overall, these results highlight the importance of rational metal selection, loading optimization, and interface engineering in developing robust catalysts for industrial hydrofluoroolefin production.</p>","PeriodicalId":93,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144999271","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Multifunctional MEMS, NEMS, micro/nano-structures enabled by piezoelectric and ferroelectric effects.","authors":"Mengyao Xiao, Aolei Xu, Zhouli Sui, Wenjie Zhang, Huajun Liu, Chengkuo Lee","doi":"10.1039/d5nh00386e","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nh00386e","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>MEMS and NEMS increasingly integrate multiple functions within compact platforms, enabled by piezoelectric and ferroelectric materials such as PZT, BaTiO<sub>3</sub>, AlN, ScAlN, PVDF, and Hf<sub>0.5</sub>Zr<sub>0.5</sub>O<sub>2</sub>. These materials support devices including mechanical sensors, RF resonators for gas detection, energy harvesters, non-volatile memories such as FeRAM and FeFETs, and neuromorphic computing arrays, as well as microspeakers and microphones for compact audio interfaces. They also play a key role in reconfigurable photonic components through acousto-optic and electro-optic modulation. This review examines materials, device designs, and integration strategies shaping next-generation intelligent microsystems across domains such as Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT), wearables, and robotics.</p>","PeriodicalId":93,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144991061","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Nanoformulation-based drug delivery systems for the treatment of gastric cancer: recent developments and future prospects.","authors":"Jiale Zou, Siwen Chen, Wenhui Liu, Yishu Wang, Diwei Zheng, Wenqiang Sun, Shiping Xu, Wei Wei, Shuang Wang","doi":"10.1039/d5nh00344j","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d5nh00344j","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Despite significant efforts and recent advances in GC treatment, therapeutic efficacy remains suboptimal. In recent years, emerging nanomaterials have demonstrated considerable potential for cancer therapy, primarily due to their ability to function as drug carriers that enable targeted and precise delivery of therapeutic agents to tumour tissues. This not only increases therapeutic efficacy but also reduces side effects. Herein, we present a comprehensive review of the major types of nanoformulations, including liposomes, albumin-based nanoparticles (NPs), polymer-based NPs, inorganic NPs, and cell-derived nanomaterials. We also examine recently reported nanoformulations for various GC treatment strategies, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, gene therapy, phototherapy, and combined therapy. We highlight the design concepts and principles underlying these nanoformulations employed in GC treatment. Additionally, we discuss the challenges associated with nanoformulation-based treatments for GC as well as future prospects in this rapidly evolving field.</p>","PeriodicalId":93,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144936740","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Viacheslav Muratov, Karolina Jagiello, Tomasz Puzyn
{"title":"TRIumph in nanotoxicology: simplifying transcriptomics into a single predictive variable.","authors":"Viacheslav Muratov, Karolina Jagiello, Tomasz Puzyn","doi":"10.1039/d5nh00330j","DOIUrl":"10.1039/d5nh00330j","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The primary aim of our study was to address the problem of transcriptomic data complexity by introducing a novel transcriptomic response index (TRI), compressing the entire transcriptomic space into a single variable, and linking it with the inhaled multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) properties. This methodology allows us to predict fold change values of thousands of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) using a single variable and a single quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) model. In the context of this work, TRI compressed 5167 DEGs into a single variable, explaining 99.9% of the entire transcriptomic space. Further TRI was linked to the properties of inhaled MWCNTs using a nano-QSAR model with statistics <i>R</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.83, <i>Q</i><sub>CV</sub><sup>2</sup> = 0.8, and <i>Q</i><sup>2</sup> = 0.78, which show a high level of goodness-of-fit, robustness, and predictability of the obtained model. By training a nano-QSAR model on fold changes of thousands of DEGs using a single variable, our study significantly contributes not only to new approach methodologies (NAMs) focused on reducing animal testing but also decreases the amount of computational resources needed for work with complex transcriptomic data. Developed during this work, the software called ChemBioML Platform (https://chembioml.com) offers researchers a powerful free-to-use tool for training regulatory acceptable machine learning (ML) models without a strong background in programming. The ChemBioML Platform integrates the ML capabilities of Python with the advanced graphical interface of unreal engine 5, creating a bridge between scientific research and the game development industry.</p>","PeriodicalId":93,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144936778","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Two-step ligand exchange to promote charge transfer in PbSe quantum dot photodetectors for pulse monitoring.","authors":"Jingwen Yang, Zaihua Duan, Wenxin Zeng, Yichen Bu, Xing Tang, Guosheng Wang, Xin Zhou, Qian Dai, Zhen Yuan, Yadong Jiang, Huiling Tai","doi":"10.1039/d5nh00495k","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nh00495k","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Quantum dots (QDs) have emerged as promising materials for next-generation infrared semiconductors due to their facile solution processing, low-cost, tunable bandgap and superior optoelectronic properties. However, organic long-chain ligands that modify the surface of QDs hinder charge transfer, thus impairing the performance of QD infrared photodetectors. Here, we report a two-step ligand exchange strategy that decouples the native long-chain ligands from the QDs using specific molecules and then attaches the short-chain ligands, resulting in high response for lead-rich lead selenide (PbSe) QD photodetectors. During the layer-by-layer film deposition process, 1-octanethiol is first used for primary ligand exchange to remove stable ligands, followed by 3-mercaptopropionic acid for secondary exchange to ensure thorough passivation of surface defects. The two-step processing PbSe QD photodetector has a responsivity of up to 1.28 A W<sup>-1</sup>, a detectivity of 9.65 × 10<sup>12</sup> Jones and a record high external quantum efficiency of 144.4% at a bias voltage of 0.5 V at 1100 nm. Benefitting from the high performance, the PbSe QD photodetector can be integrated into a pulse monitoring platform, achieving a physiological sign monitoring by capturing real-time pulse signals of human superficial arteries.</p>","PeriodicalId":93,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144936700","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A phenazine-linked π-conjugated covalent organic framework for conjugation-driven drug loading.","authors":"Kohki Sasaki, Tsukasa Irie, Mika Nozaki, Tokuhisa Kawawaki, Saikat Das, Yuichi Negishi","doi":"10.1039/d5nh00470e","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nh00470e","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The rational design of π-conjugated covalent organic frameworks (COFs) represents a promising frontier in functional porous materials for drug delivery, particularly when conjugation-affinity correlations can be harnessed. Herein, we report the synthesis and characterization of a structurally unique phenazine-linked π-conjugated COF (TU-32) constructed from 2,7-di-<i>tert</i>-butylpyrene-4,5,9,10-tetraone and 9,10-dihydro-9,10-[1,2]benzenoanthracene-2,3,6,7,14,15-hexaamine hexahydrochloride. In contrast to conventional 2D COFs that exhibit π-π stacking, this COF adopts an atypical AB stacking mode along the <i>c</i>-axis, resulting in suppressed interlayer π-stacking and enhanced structural regularity. The incorporation of extended π-conjugation through phenazine linkages enables selective interactions with conjugated drug molecules. Among three drug molecules tested-5-fluorouracil, isoniazid, and captopril-the COF demonstrated the highest loading capacity (56 wt%) for 5-fluorouracil, which features a fully conjugated pyrimidine-like ring, followed by isoniazid (54 wt%), which contains a moderately conjugated pyridyl moiety. In contrast, captopril, which lacks significant π-conjugation, showed a lower loading (36 wt%). Our findings underscore the importance of molecular-level π-π interactions in drug encapsulation and highlight how precise framework engineering <i>via</i> π-conjugated building blocks enables conjugation-driven guest affinity, offering key insights and a design blueprint for next-generation conjugated porous frameworks for precision therapeutic delivery.</p>","PeriodicalId":93,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144936675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zhenglong Mao, Shentian Li, Feilong Tan, Cao Li, Lei Jiao, Wenling Gu, Xin Luo
{"title":"Axial modulation of Fe sites for boosted electrochemical oxidation.","authors":"Zhenglong Mao, Shentian Li, Feilong Tan, Cao Li, Lei Jiao, Wenling Gu, Xin Luo","doi":"10.1039/d5nh00476d","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nh00476d","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fe/NC single-atom catalysts have attracted extensive attention due to their maximal atomic utilization and tunable coordination environments. However, the structure-activity relationship of Fe single atoms in electrooxidation remains unclear. Herein, we report a defect engineering strategy to fine-tune the charge configuration of FeN<sub>4</sub> sites by introducing an axial N ligand and constructing FeN<sub>5</sub>-Fe<sub>1</sub>/NC. This asymmetric coordination environment enhances the catalytic activity for dopamine (DA) oxidation, delivering a 2.1-fold improvement over traditional Fe<sub>1</sub>/NC. The FeN<sub>5</sub>-Fe<sub>1</sub>/NC biosensor exhibits a wide linear detection range of 0.05-500 μM with a low detection limit of 23 nM for DA. Additionally, theoretical calculations confirm that axial N coordination modulates the electronic structure of the Fe center, optimizes intermediate adsorption, and lowers the energy barrier for DA oxidation. This work provides valuable insights into the rational design of single-atom catalysts for high-performance electrochemical sensing and fundamental mechanistic studies at the atomic scale.</p>","PeriodicalId":93,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144936613","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tao Liu, Chunlan Wang, Gengliang Zou, Jiaying Ji, Zao Yi
{"title":"A multifunctional terahertz device based on vanadium dioxide metamaterials that switches between ultra-broadband absorption and ultra-high-<i>Q</i> narrowband absorption.","authors":"Tao Liu, Chunlan Wang, Gengliang Zou, Jiaying Ji, Zao Yi","doi":"10.1039/d5nh00320b","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nh00320b","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Terahertz (THz) absorbers with ultra-broadband and ultra-narrowband absorption capabilities are crucial for integrated and efficient terahertz modulation. This study proposes a dual-mode tunable terahertz absorber based on the phase transition characteristics of vanadium dioxide (VO<sub>2</sub>), enabling dynamic switching between narrowband and broadband absorption through its insulating-to-metallic transition. In the insulating state, the excitation of quasi-bound states in the continuum (Q-BIC) resonance <i>via</i> geometric parameter modulation of silicon pillars is investigated, with its physical mechanism elucidated <i>via</i> impedance matching theory and multipole analysis. This mode demonstrates exceptional sensing performance at 8.017 THz: a refractive index sensitivity of 3.735 THz RIU<sup>-1</sup>, a quality factor (<i>Q</i>) of 4800.89, and a figure of merit (FOM) of 3822.93 RIU<sup>-1</sup>. When VO<sub>2</sub> is transformed into the metallic state, the device achieves more than 90% ultra-broadband absorption in the range of 3.93 THz to 9.25 THz, and its broadband absorption properties originate from the electric dipole resonance. In addition, the performance of the device remains stable at different structural parameters. Compared to existing technologies, this design integrates dual functionalities in a single-layer hybrid structure, significantly reducing fabrication complexity.</p>","PeriodicalId":93,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144936622","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bor-Wei Liang, Ruei-Yu Hsu, Wen-Hao Chang, Ye-Ru Chen, You-Jia Huang, Tilo H Yang, Yu Liang Li, Chin-Yuan Su, Ting-Hua Lu, Yann-Wen Lan
{"title":"Modulation of photoluminescence in a MoS<sub>2</sub> device through tuning the quantum tunneling effect.","authors":"Bor-Wei Liang, Ruei-Yu Hsu, Wen-Hao Chang, Ye-Ru Chen, You-Jia Huang, Tilo H Yang, Yu Liang Li, Chin-Yuan Su, Ting-Hua Lu, Yann-Wen Lan","doi":"10.1039/d5nh00089k","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1039/d5nh00089k","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) materials, such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS<sub>2</sub>), have emerged as promising platforms for exploring electrically tunable light-matter interactions, which are critical for designing high-performance photodetector systems. In this study, we investigate the advancements in quantum tunneling MoS<sub>2</sub> field-effect transistors (QT-MoS<sub>2</sub> FETs) and their optoelectronic properties, with a focus on photoresponse behavior and photoluminescence (PL) spectral variations driven by photoinduced tunneling currents through oxide layers. The results demonstrate that tunneling-induced exciton and trion dissociation effects lead to a pronounced blue shift in PL spectral peaks and significant changes in light intensity. Compared to normal MoS<sub>2</sub> FETs, QT-MoS<sub>2</sub> FETs exhibit considerably enhanced PL spectral modulation under applied gate bias, underscoring the critical role of tunneling currents in governing optical responses. This work advances the understanding of 2D material-based optoelectronics and highlights their potential for next-generation photodetector applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":93,"journal":{"name":"Nanoscale Horizons","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144936747","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}