In medicine, objects that need to be removed later such as stents are commonly placed in patients, with the time of removal dependent on progress of the patient. In these cases biodegradable materials that last for a specific time may not be suitable. We propose a new class of nanostructured materials that can hold their form as long as wanted, Triggered, Nanostructured Biodegradables (TNBs), t...

Three types of Ti–O-compound-based nanobelts (Na2Ti3O7, H2Ti3O7, TiO2) are prepared from commercial TiO2 powders via an alkaline hydrothermal process. Nanostructured sheets based on the as-synthesized nanobelts are prepared using a paper-making process. The nanobelts are connected with hydrogen bonds or/and bridge oxygen atoms and packed together, forming a paperlike porous network structure, w...

We report on a particularly strong third-order nonlinear response from nanostructured gold surfaces. Two incident laser beams with frequencies omega{1} and omega{2} give rise to four-wave mixing (4WM) fields with frequencies 2omega{1}-omega{2} and 2omega{2}-omega{1}. We demonstrate that the nonlinear response can be purely evanescent and that nanostructured surfaces convert the evanescent energ...

Gas phase nanoparticle production, manipulation and deposition is of primary importance for the synthesis of nanostructured materials and for the development of industrial processes based on nanotechnology. In this review we present and discuss this approach, introducing cluster sources, nanoparticle formation and growth mechanisms and the use of aerodynamic focusing methods that are coupled wi...

We show that the information gained in spectroscopic experiments regarding the number and distribution of atomic environments can be used as a valuable constraint in the refinement of the atomic-scale structures of nanostructured or amorphous materials from pair distribution function (PDF) data. We illustrate the effectiveness of this approach for three paradigmatic disordered systems: molecula...

One-dimensional titania nanostructures can serve as a support for light absorbing molecules and result in an improvement in the short circuit current (Jsc) and open circuit voltage (Voc) as a nanostructured and high-surface-area material in dye-sensitized solar cells. Here, self-assembled amyloid-like peptide nanofibers were exploited as an organic template for the growth of one-dimensional tit...

This paper presents the details of a novel battery architecture based on superhydrophobic nanostructured materials. Both electrodes of a battery are formed on nanostructured silicon surfaces that are subsequently treated to make them superhydrophobic, effectively separating the liquid electrolyte from the active electrode materials. A phenomenon called electrowetting that promotes electrolyte p...

Nonequilibrium periodic nanostructures such as nanoscale ripples, mounds and rhomboidal pyramids formed on Rh(110) are particularly interesting as candidate model systems with enhanced catalytic reactivity, since they are endowed with steep facets running along nonequilibrium low-symmetry directions, exposing a high density of undercoordinated atoms. In this review we report on the formation of...

Thermoelectricity is a very important phenomenon, especially its significance in heat-electricity conversion. If thermoelectric devices can be effectively applied to the recovery of the renewable energies, such as waste heat and solar energy, the energy shortage, and global warming issues may be greatly relieved. This review focusses recent developments on the thermoelectric performance of a lo...

Fractal structures in nature offer a unique "fractal contact mode" that guarantees the efficient working of an organism with an optimized style. Fractal nanostructured biointerfaces have shown great potential for the ultrasensitive detection of disease-relevant biomarkers from small biomolecules on the nanoscale to cancer cells on the microscale. This review will present the advantages of fract...