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Crystals
Special Issues
Functional Nanomaterials for Advanced Applications
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Functional Nanomaterials for Advanced Applications

A special issue of Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 August 2021) | Viewed by 16573

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Ahmad Umar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Arts and Promising Centre for Sensors and Electronic Devices, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia
Interests: semiconductor nanotechnology; functional nanomaterials; sensors; electronic and energy devices; environmental remediation; bio-applications of functional nanomaterials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Sotirios Baskoutas

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Guest Editor
Department of Materials Science, University of Patras, 265 04 Patras, Greece
Interests: semiconductor nanostructures; optical properties; energy transfer; sensors; carbon dots from biowaste
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Nikolaos Bouropoulos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Materials Science, University of Patras, Greece and Institute of Chemical Engineering Sciences (FORTH/ICE-HT), Patras, Greece
Interests: biological mineralization; calcium phosphates; calcium phosphate bone cements; crystal growth; controlled drug delivery systems based on biopolymers; synthesis and characterization of ZnO
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the last few decades, there has been great and unpredictable progress in the synthesis, characterization, and potential applications of functional and tailored advanced nanomaterials. Advanced functional nanomaterials have shown their applicability in a range of technologies because of their enhanced and improved physical, chemical, and functional properties. Such functional advanced nanomaterials are used for a variety of potential applications, from electronics to sensor devices to energy, environmental, and medical fields. Researchers have also focused their attention on widely used metal and metal oxide nanomaterials, carbon-based materials, such as single-walled or multi-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs or MWCNTs) and graphene oxide (GO), carbon dots, polymeric nanomaterials, biomaterials, and so on, due to their enhanced properties and wide applications. The rapid development of functional nanomaterials provides the possibility of designing better and unique devices with outstanding properties.

In recent decades, functional nanomaterials have been attracting a great deal of interest in diverse areas , largely because of their unprecedented chemical and physical properties. Within this context, extensive research efforts have been devoted to the development of new science, in terms of their synthesis, engineering, and functionalization. For instance, graphene represents a relatively new addition to carbon-based functional materials. With its unique two-dimensional sheet-like structure, graphene and its derivatives open up a new chapter in the manipulation of nanomaterial properties and functions. The utilization of such novel materials in nanoelectronics, energy science, and biological applications has started to emerge.

This Special Issue is a timely approach to survey recent progress in the area of functional nanomaterials and their applications. The articles presented in this Special Issue will cover various topics, ranging from materials preparation, engineering, functionalization, and their various applications, such as sensors (chemical, biological, gas, and so on), environmental remediation, biological labeling, fuel cell, electrocatalysis, catalysis, photocatalysis, electronic devices, bioapplications of nanomaterials, and so on. The coverage is certainly not complete, but it is our intension that this Special Issue will offer a unique glimpse of what has been achieved and what remains to be explored in functional nanomaterials.

The Special Issue will cover (but not be limited to) the following topics:

  • Synthesis and characterizations of functional nanomaterials;
  • Sensors (bio, chemical, gas, optical, etc.);
  • Photocatalysis;
  • Catalysis;
  • Environmental remediation;
  • Electronic devices;
  • Energy devices;
  • Bioapplications of functional nanomaterials;
  • Theoretical studies;
  • etc.

It is our pleasure to invite you to submit review articles, original papers, and communications to this Special Issue on “Advanced Functional Nanomaterials and Their Applications”.

Prof. Dr. Ahmad Umar
Prof. Dr. Sotirios Baskoutas
Prof. Nikolaos Bouropoulos
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Crystals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • functional nanomaterials
  • sensors
  • photocatalysis
  • catalysis
  • environmental remediation
  • electronic devices
  • energy devices
  • bioapplications
  • theoretical studies

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 4604 KiB  
Article
Carbon Nanodots as a Potential Transport Layer for Boosting Performance of All-Inorganic Perovskite Nanocrystals-Based Photodetector
by Hassan Algadi, Ahmad Umar, Hasan Albargi, Turki Alsuwian and Sotirios Baskoutas
Crystals 2021, 11(6), 717; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/cryst11060717 - 21 Jun 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2844
Abstract
A low-cost and simple drop-casting method was used to fabricate a carbon nanodot (C-dot)/all-inorganic perovskite (CsPbBr3) nanosheet bilayer heterojunction photodetector on a SiO2/Si substrate. The C-dot/perovskite bilayer heterojunction photodetector shows a high performance with a responsivity (R) of 1.09 [...] Read more.
A low-cost and simple drop-casting method was used to fabricate a carbon nanodot (C-dot)/all-inorganic perovskite (CsPbBr3) nanosheet bilayer heterojunction photodetector on a SiO2/Si substrate. The C-dot/perovskite bilayer heterojunction photodetector shows a high performance with a responsivity (R) of 1.09 A/W, almost five times higher than that of a CsPbBr3-based photodetector (0.21 A/W). In addition, the hybrid photodetector exhibits a fast response speed of 1.318/1.342 µs and a highly stable photocurrent of 6.97 µA at 10 V bias voltage. These figures of merits are comparable with, or much better than, most reported perovskite heterojunction photodetectors. UV–Vis absorption and photoluminescent spectra measurements reveal that the C-dot/perovskite bilayer heterojunction has a band gap similar to the pure perovskite layer, confirming that the absorption and emission in the bilayer heterojunction is dominated by the top layer of the perovskite. Moreover, the emission intensity of the C-dot/perovskite bilayer heterojunction is less than that of the pure perovskite layer, indicating that a significant number of charges were extracted by the C-dot layer. The studied band alignment of the C-dots and perovskites in the dark and under emission reveals that the photodetector has a highly efficient charge separation mechanism at the C-dot/perovskite interface, where the recombination rate between photogenerated electrons and holes is significantly reduced. This highly efficient charge separation mechanism is the main reason behind the enhanced performance of the C-dot/perovskite bilayer heterojunction photodetector. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanomaterials for Advanced Applications)
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12 pages, 3521 KiB  
Article
Rapid Microwave Synthesis of β-SnWO4 Nanoparticles: An Efficient Anode Material for Lithium Ion Batteries
by H. N. Sumedha, Mabkhoot A. Alsaiari, Mohammed S. Jalalah, M. Shashank, Fahad A. Alharthi, Naushad Ahmad, Jari S. Algethami, Vishwanth Vishwanth and Nagaraju Ganganagappa
Crystals 2021, 11(4), 334; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/cryst11040334 - 26 Mar 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2345
Abstract
We report a facile synthesis of β-SnWO4 nanoparticles via a microwave heat treatment using SnCl2 and H2WO4 in the presence of tamarind seed powder. An X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed a crystalline nature revealing a cubic structure of β-SnWO [...] Read more.
We report a facile synthesis of β-SnWO4 nanoparticles via a microwave heat treatment using SnCl2 and H2WO4 in the presence of tamarind seed powder. An X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed a crystalline nature revealing a cubic structure of β-SnWO4 nanoparticles. The morphological features were visualized using a scanning electron microscope that exhibited homogenously distributed clusters of nanoparticles, which were further confirmed using a transmission electron microscope. The micrographs also displayed some porosity. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirmed the elemental contents such as tin, oxygen and tungsten in the same stoichiometric ratio as expected by the respective empirical formula. A high-resolution transmission electron microscope was used to find the d-spacing, which was ultimately used to analyze the structural parameters. The spectrum obtained using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy illuminated different stretching vibrations. Additionally, a Barrett–Joyner–Halenda analysis was carried out to investigate the N2 adsorption-desorption isotherm as well as to govern the pore size distribution. Cyclic voltammetry measurements were implemented to analyze the ongoing electrode reactions throughout the charge/discharge for the β-SnWO4 nanostructures. The galvanometric charge/discharge curves for β-SnWO4 are also discussed. A high specific capacitance (600 mAhg–1 at 0.1 C) and excellent columbic efficiency (~100%) were achieved. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanomaterials for Advanced Applications)
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7 pages, 1414 KiB  
Article
Laser-Induced Graphene on a Quartz Crystal Microbalance for Humidity Sensing
by Jihun Choi, Saeyeon Baek, Sangmin Jeon and Changyong Yim
Crystals 2021, 11(3), 289; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/cryst11030289 - 15 Mar 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2663
Abstract
In this study, a simple method for synthesizing graphene layer directly on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) using a laser was developed. This laser-induced graphene (LIG) was used for sensing surface to simultaneously measure changes in the adsorbed mass, film stiffness, and electrical [...] Read more.
In this study, a simple method for synthesizing graphene layer directly on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) using a laser was developed. This laser-induced graphene (LIG) was used for sensing surface to simultaneously measure changes in the adsorbed mass, film stiffness, and electrical resistance during water adsorption. The developed LIG-QCM is convenient because its fabrication process is free of any tedious masking and vacuuming steps. A thin layer of polyimide (PI) film was spin-coated on one side of a quartz crystal microresonator, and interdigitated electrodes (IDE) were patterned on the PI surface using a laser engraver. The adsorption of water molecules on the sensing surface induced changes in mass, stiffness, and electrical conductivity, which were measured from the changes in resonance frequency, Q factor of the quartz crystal, and electrical resistance, respectively. The results indicated that the developed sensor could be a humidity sensing platform using LIG. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanomaterials for Advanced Applications)
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15 pages, 4081 KiB  
Article
Picomolar-Level Melamine Detection via ATP Regulated CeO2 Nanorods Tunable Peroxidase-Like Nanozyme-Activity-Based Colorimetric Sensor: Logic Gate Implementation and Real Sample Analysis
by Benazir Chishti, Zubaida A. Ansari, Hassan Fouad, Othman Y. Alothman, Mohamed Hashem and Shafeeque G. Ansari
Crystals 2021, 11(2), 178; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/cryst11020178 - 11 Feb 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2153
Abstract
The capability of functional logic operations is highly intriguing, but far from being realized owing to limited recognition element (RE) and complex readout signals, which limit their applications. In this contribution, for a visual colorimetric sensor for melamine (MEL) we described the construction [...] Read more.
The capability of functional logic operations is highly intriguing, but far from being realized owing to limited recognition element (RE) and complex readout signals, which limit their applications. In this contribution, for a visual colorimetric sensor for melamine (MEL) we described the construction of two- and three-input AND logic gate by exploiting the intrinsic peroxidase (POD)-like activity of CeO2 nanorods (NRs) (~23.04% Ce3+ fraction and aspect ratio (RTEM) of 3.85 ± 0.18) as RE at acidic pH (4.5). Further ATP piloted catalytic tuning of POD-like activity in CeO2 NRs employed for a functional logic gate-controlled MEL sensing at neutral pH (7.4). AND logic circuit operated MEL sensing record colorimetric response time of 15 min to produce blue color proportionate to MEL concentration. The fabricated nanozyme (CeO2)-based logic gate sensor probe for MEL at pH 4.5 showed a linear response from 0.004 nM to 1.56 nM with a limit of detection (LOD) of 4 pM; while translation from acidic to neutral pH (at 7.4) sensor exhibited linear response ranging from 0.2 nM to 3.12 nM with a LOD value of 17 pM. Through CeO2 POD-like nanozyme behavior under acidic and neutral pH, the fabricated logic gate sensor showed high affinity for MEL, generating prominent visual output with picomolar sensitivity, good reproducibility, and stability with relative standard deviation (RSD) <1% and 2%, respectively. A feasibility study in real samples (raw milk and milk powder) showed good recoveries with negligible matrix effect, an anti-interference experiment revealed sensor selectivity, highlighting robust sensor practical utility. With the merits of high sensitivity, specificity, low cost, and simplified sample processing, the developed logic-controlled colorimetric MEL sensing platform with appropriate modifications can be recognized as a potent methodology for on-site analysis of various food adulterants and related applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanomaterials for Advanced Applications)
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16 pages, 26879 KiB  
Article
Micro-Plasma Assisted Synthesis of ZnO Nanosheets for the Efficient Removal of Cr6+ from the Aqueous Solution
by Pawan Kumar, Meenu Saini, Maninder Singh, Nidhi Chhillar, Brijnandan S. Dehiya, Kamal Kishor, Fahad A. Alharthi, Nabil Al-Zaqri and Abdulaziz Ali Alghamdi
Crystals 2021, 11(1), 2; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/cryst11010002 - 22 Dec 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2478
Abstract
Herein, we report a micro-plasma assisted solvothermal synthesis and characterization of zinc oxide nanosheets (ZnO-NSs) and their application for the removal of Cr6+ ion from aqueous solution. The morphological investigations by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed the [...] Read more.
Herein, we report a micro-plasma assisted solvothermal synthesis and characterization of zinc oxide nanosheets (ZnO-NSs) and their application for the removal of Cr6+ ion from aqueous solution. The morphological investigations by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirmed the high-density growth of nanosheets with the typical sizes in the range of 145.8–320.25 nm. The typical surface area of the synthesized ZnO-NSs, observed by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), was found to be 948 m2/g. The synthesized ZnO-NSs were used as efficient absorbent for the removal of Cr6+ ion from aqueous solution. Various parameters such as pH, contact time, amount of adsorbate and adsorbent on the removal efficiency of Cr6+ ion was optimized and presented in this paper. At optimized conditions, the highest value for removal was 87.1% at pH = 2 while the calculated maximum adsorption capacity was ~87.37 mg/g. The adsorption isotherm data were found to be best fitted to Temkin adsorption isotherm and the adsorption process followed the pseudo-first-order kinetics. Furthermore, the toxicity of ZnO-NSs were also examined against fibroblast cells, which show favorable results and proved that it can be used for wastewater treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanomaterials for Advanced Applications)
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11 pages, 1210 KiB  
Commentary
Recent Progress of Lung Cancer Diagnosis Using Nanomaterials
by Xuefeng Tang, Zhao Wang, Feng Wei, Wei Mu and Xiaojun Han
Crystals 2021, 11(1), 24; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/cryst11010024 - 29 Dec 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3031
Abstract
Lung cancer is one of the serious malignant tumors with high morbidity and mortality due to the poor diagnosis and early metastasis. The developing nanotechnology provides novel concepts and research strategies for the lung cancer diagnosis by employing nanomaterials as diagnostic reagents to [...] Read more.
Lung cancer is one of the serious malignant tumors with high morbidity and mortality due to the poor diagnosis and early metastasis. The developing nanotechnology provides novel concepts and research strategies for the lung cancer diagnosis by employing nanomaterials as diagnostic reagents to enhance diagnostic efficiency. This commentary introduces recent progress using nanoparticles for lung cancer diagnosis from two aspects of in vivo and in vitro detection. The challenges and future research perspectives are proposed at the end of the paper. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanomaterials for Advanced Applications)
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