Effect of protein adsorption on the dissolution kinetics of silica nanoparticles.

Nanoparticulate systems in the presence of proteins are highly relevant for various biomedical applications such as photo-thermal therapy and targeted drug delivery. These involve a complex interplay between the charge state of nanoparticles and protein, the resulting protein conformation, adsorption equilibrium and adsorption kinetics, as well as particle dissolution. SiO is a common constituent of bioactive glasses used in biomedical applications.

Mechanics of colloidal supraparticles under compression.

Colloidal supraparticles are finite, spherical assemblies of many primary particles. To take advantage of their emergent functionalities, such supraparticles must retain their structural integrity. Here, we investigate their size-dependent mechanical properties via nanoindentation.

Easy Room Temperature Synthesis of High Surface Area Anatase Nanowires with Different Morphologies.

Anatase nanowires were synthesized in solution by using a simple mixing of titanium diisopropoxide bis(acetylacetonate), lactic acid and sodium hydroxide at room temperature. We discuss effects of reaction parameters and post treatment (annealing) on the nanowire morphology, surface area, and crystallinity, as well as the competing morphology directing effects of lactic acid and sodium hydroxide. Then the room temperature nanowires were directly grown onto fluoride doped tin oxide (FTO) glass to form photoanodes.

Easy Room Temperature Synthesis of High Surface Area Anatase Nanowires with Different Morphologies.

Invited for this month's cover picture is the group of Professor Patrik Schmuki. The cover picture shows the classic hydrothermal equipment needed to synthesise TiO nanostructures versus the simple room temperature, 'test tube' approach described in the article on the synthesis of titanium dioxide 'hedgehog' nanowires (SEM picture). Read the full text of their Communication at 10.

Mechanochemically induced sulfur doping in ZnO via oxygen vacancy formation.

Surface defects of ZnO nanoparticles were induced via mechanical stressing using a Turbula shaker mixer and a planetary ball mill, and the possibilities for surface modification and functionalization of the ZnO nanoparticles were exemplified by sulfur doping of activated ZnO. Raman spectroscopy reveals that the formation of oxygen vacancies (V) does not only occur under high stressing conditions in a planetary ball mill but even upon rather 'mild stressing' in the shaker mixer. The temporal evolution of the vacancy concentration in ZnO stressed under different conditions can be described by a model that accounts for stress number and vacancy diffusion with diffusion coefficients of V of 3.