Silver ions and silver nanoparticles have a well-known biological effect that typically occurs in biological or environmental media of complex composition. Silver nanoparticles release silver ions if oxidizing species like molecular oxygen or hydrogen peroxide are present. The presence of glucose as a model for reducing sugars has only a small effect on the dissolution rate. In the presence of chloride ions, precipitation of silver chloride nanoparticles occurs. At physiological salt concentrations, no precipitation of silver phosphate occurs as the precipitation of silver chloride always occurs first. If the surface of a silver nanoparticle is passivated by cysteine, the dissolution is quantitatively inhibited. Upon immersion of silver nanoparticles in pure water for 8 months, leading to about 50% dissolution, no change in the surface was observed by transmission electron microscopy. A model for the dissolution was derived from immersion and dissolution experiments in different media and from high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. A literature survey on the available data on the dissolution of silver nanoparticles showed that only qualitative trends can be identified as the nature of the nanoparticles and of the immersion medium are practically never comparable. The dissolution effects were confirmed by cell culture experiments (human mesenchymal stem cells and neutrophil granulocytes) where silver nanoparticles that were stored under argon had a clearly lower cytotoxicity than those stored under air.They also led to a less formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This underscores that silver ions are the toxic species.

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Extensive research has been devoted to the chemical manipulation of carbon nanotubes. The attachment of molecular fragments through covalent-bond formation produces kinetically stable products, but implies the saturation of some of the C-C double bonds of the nanotubes. Supramolecular modification maintains the structure of the SWNTs but yields labile species. Herein, we present a strategy for the synthesis of mechanically interlocked derivatives of SWNTs (MINTs). In the key rotaxane-forming step, we employed macrocycle precursors equipped with two π-extended tetrathiafulvalene SWNT recognition units and terminated with bisalkenes that were closed around the nanotubes through ring-closing metathesis (RCM). The mechanically interlocked nature of the derivatives was probed by analytical, spectroscopic, and microscopic techniques, as well as by appropriate control experiments. Individual macrocycles were observed by HR STEM to circumscribe the nanotubes.

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Grain BoundariesPerovskite manganites with general formula RE 1−x B x MnO 3±δ (where RE stands for a trivalent rare-earth element and B for a divalent alkaline ion) have been extensively investigated for their wide variety of intriguing properties, such as oxygen electrocatalysis in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), [1,2] The ORCID identification number(s) for the author(s) of this article can be found under https://doi.

Spin crossover (SCO) molecules are promising nanoscale magnetic switches due to their ability to modify their spin state under several stimuli. However, SCO systems face several bottlenecks when downscaling into nanoscale spintronic devices: their instability at the nanoscale, their insulating character and the lack of control when positioning nanocrystals in nanodevices. Here we show the encapsulation of robust Fe-based SCO molecules within the 1D cavities of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT). We find that the SCO mechanism endures encapsulation and positioning of individual heterostructures in nanoscale transistors. The SCO switch in the guest molecules triggers a large conductance bistability through the host SWCNT. Moreover, the SCO transition shifts to higher temperatures and displays hysteresis cycles, and thus memory effect, not present in crystalline samples. Our results demonstrate how encapsulation in SWCNTs provides the backbone for the readout and positioning of SCO molecules into nanodevices, and can also help to tune their magnetic properties at the nanoscale.

Liquid phase exfoliation (LPE) from the bulk is an adequate method for the mass-production of thin nanosheets of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs). However, making suspensions in which the extraordinary properties of mechanically exfoliated TMDCs are observable remains a challenge. We describe a mild LPE method to produce luminescent suspensions of MoS 2 and WS 2 in Nmethylpyrrolidone or isopropanol/water mixtures, without the need for a purification step. The key differences in our experimental procedure compared to previously reported LPE methods are the use of mild bath sonication at controlled temperature and the low initial concentration of the parent TMDC. Spectroscopic and AFM data confirm that an overwhelming majority of the sample is composed of ultrathin nanosheets. HREM data support the formation of the luminescent 2H polytype. The ultrathin nanosheets can be transferred to pure water and cell culture medium. Confocal fluorescence microscopy experiments on MCF-7 breast cancer cells exposed to LPE WS2 show that the cells are viable and the photoluminescence of the nanosheets is detectable.

U-shaped bisporphyrin molecules are clipped around SWCNTs using ring-closing metathesis yielding rotaxane-type derivatives, in which porphyrins and SWCNTs are connected through mechanical links.