Small

doi: 10.1002/smll.201670057pmid: N/A

Lee, Donggyu; Lee, Daehee; Won, Yulim; Hong, Hyeonaug; Kim, Yongjae; Song, Hyunwoo; Pyun, Jae‐Chul; Cho, Yong Soo; Ryu, Wonhyoung; Moon, Jooho

doi: 10.1002/smll.201670054pmid: N/A

Effective insertion of nanowires into cells is critical for monitoring subcellular activities, bio‐electrical devices, and photosynthetic bio‐energy harvesting. On page 1446, W. Ryu, J. Moon and co‐workers demonstrate the possibility of direct insertion of nanowires into living algal cells using inkjet printing technology. While most cell printing technologies aim to print cells on a flat substrate, this work investigates if living cells could be printed for insertion by nanowires at predetermined locations by control of the falling velocity of the bio‐ink droplet.

Minardi, Silvia; Corradetti, Bruna; Taraballi, Francesca; Sandri, Monica; Martinez, Jonathan O.; Powell, Sebastian T.; Tampieri, Anna; Weiner, Bradley K.; Tasciotti, Ennio

doi: 10.1002/smll.201670055pmid: N/A

Avoiding the clearance of drug delivery systems from 3D scaffolds is crucial to preserve the bioactivity of their therapeutic payload. This is accomplished on page 1479, by E. Tasciotti and co‐workers, through a “concealing” strategy: cloaking PLGA microspheres with the type I collagen matrix of a biomimetic scaffold, which enables the control of the production of inflammatory mediators.

doi: 10.1002/smll.201670056pmid: N/A

Xu, Yuanhong; Liu, Jingquan

doi: 10.1002/smll.201502988pmid: 26854030

Graphene has been regarded as a promising candidate for a new generation of transparent electrodes (TEs) due to its prominent characteristics including high optical transmittance, exceptional electronic transport, outstanding mechanical strength, and environmental stability. Comprehensive and critical insights into the latest advances in graphene‐based TEs (GTEs) since, but not limited to 2013, are provided, with an emphasis on fabrication, modification, and versatile applications. Several emerging application areas not previously summarized, including electrochromic devices, supercapacitors, electrochemical and electrochemiluminescent sensors, are discussed in detail. The challenges and prospects in these fields are also addressed.

Li, Yuxiang; Zu, Baiyi; Guo, Yanan; Li, Kun; Zeng, Haibo; Dou, Xincun

doi: 10.1002/smll.201503111pmid: 26788928

Sn4+–O2−• centers are intentionally created in SnO2 nanoflowers by a thermodynamically instable synthetic process. The resulting SnO2 nanoflower‐based sensor is confirmed to be the most sensitive ppb‐level chemiresistor NO2 sensor to date. The Sn4+–O2−• centers with strong gas‐adsorbing and high eletron‐donating capability towards NO2 molecules decisively determine the sensor sensitivity.

Poovathingal, Suresh Kumar; Kravchenko‐Balasha, Nataly; Shin, Young Shik; Levine, Raphael David; Heath, James R.

doi: 10.1002/smll.201501178pmid: 26780498

A kinetic, single‐cell proteomic study of chemically induced carcinogenesis is interpreted by treating the single‐cell data as fluctuations of an open system transitioning between different steady states. In analogy to a first‐order transition, phase coexistence and the loss of degrees of freedom are observed. The transition is detected well before the appearance of the traditional biomarker of the carcinogenic transformation.

Sitt, Amit; Soukupova, Jana; Miller, David; Verdi, David; Zboril, Radek; Hess, Henry; Lahann, Joerg

doi: 10.1002/smll.201503467pmid: 26797691

Chemically functional core/shell microtubes made of biodegradable polymers are fabricated using coaxial electrospinning. The luminal walls are chemically functionalized, allowing for regioselective chemical binding or adsorption inside the microtube. Attaching catalytic nanoparticles or enzymes to the luminal walls converts the microtubes into bubble‐propelled microrockets. Upon exposure to ultrasound, the microtubes undergo shape shifting, transforming them into picoliter‐scale containers.

Weber, Nils‐Eike; Wundrack, Stefan; Stosch, Rainer; Turchanin, Andrey

doi: 10.1002/smll.201502931pmid: 26765943

The direct growth of single‐layer graphene patterns via electron irradiation of aromatic self‐assembled monolayers and subsequent annealing is demonstrated. In this way, a reduction in the number of necessary manufacturing steps is achieved. The formed micro‐ and nanostructures can be arbitrarily shaped and eventually implemented in a manifold of applications.

Lee, Donggyu; Lee, Daehee; Won, Yulim; Hong, Hyeonaug; Kim, Yongjae; Song, Hyunwoo; Pyun, Jae‐Chul; Cho, Yong Soo; Ryu, Wonhyoung; Moon, Jooho

doi: 10.1002/smll.201502510pmid: 26800021

Effective insertion of vertically aligned nanowires (NWs) into cells is critical for bioelectrical and biochemical devices, biological delivery systems, and photosynthetic bioenergy harvesting. However, accurate insertion of NWs into living cells using scalable processes has not yet been achieved. Here, NWs are inserted into living Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cells (Chlamy cells) via inkjet printing of the Chlamy cells, representing a low‐cost and large‐scale method for inserting NWs into living cells. Jetting conditions and printable bioink composed of living Chlamy cells are optimized to achieve stable jetting and precise ink deposition of bioink for indentation of NWs into Chlamy cells. Fluorescence confocal microscopy is used to verify the viability of Chlamy cells after inkjet printing. Simple mechanical considerations of the cell membrane and droplet kinetics are developed to control the jetting force to allow penetration of the NWs into cells. The results suggest that inkjet printing is an effective, controllable tool for stable insertion of NWs into cells with economic and scale‐related advantages.