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Synthesis and Applications of Nanoparticles and Multifunctional Nanocomposites, 2nd Edition

A Special Issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049) belonging to the section "Nanochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2027 | Viewed by 1504

Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics, Magurele, Romania
Interests: nanoparticles; laser pyrolysis; biomaterials; biomedical engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Institute for Laser, Plasma and Radiation Physics, Magurele, Romania
Interests: laser pyrolysis; nanoparticles; laser processing; nanomaterials; biomaterials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nanoparticles, as opposed to their larger counterparts, exhibit unique properties due to their high surface area and nanoscale size. Though they have been extensively researched over the past decade, they still present challenges and can be promising candidates for a wide scope of applications. The synthesis of nanoparticles or nanocomposites with tailor-made properties is a gold standard in scientific research.

This Special Issue in Molecules aims to bring together research papers on the synthesis of nanoparticles, as well as their applications. Presenting a broad scope, this Special Issue welcomes full papers and review articles on organic or inorganic nanoparticle synthesis, stabilization and functionalization, multifunctional nanocomposites, and their applications in a wide range of fields.

Dr. Iulia Ioana Lungu
Dr. Florian V. Dumitrache
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2700 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

  • nanoparticles
  • nanocomposites
  • synthesis
  • multifunctional platforms

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

63 pages, 6343 KB  
Review
Rare-Earth Elements at the Interface of Chemistry and Cancer Therapy
by Christian Goldiș, Nicoleta Anamaria Pașcalău, Roxana Racoviceanu, Tamara Maksimovic, Mihaela Jorgovan, Elisabeta Atyim, Oana Bătrîna, Marius Mioc and Codruța Șoica
Molecules 2026, 31(8), 1264; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31081264 - 11 Apr 2026
Viewed by 1224
Abstract
Rare-earth elements (REEs), which include the entire lanthanide series together with scandium and yttrium, have unique electronic configurations and coordination chemical properties that provide them with special magnetic, optical, and redox abilities. Generally used for diagnostic imaging and theranostic applications, increasing evidence emphasizes [...] Read more.
Rare-earth elements (REEs), which include the entire lanthanide series together with scandium and yttrium, have unique electronic configurations and coordination chemical properties that provide them with special magnetic, optical, and redox abilities. Generally used for diagnostic imaging and theranostic applications, increasing evidence emphasizes their potential as direct anticancer agents. This review aims to present a thorough investigation of the studies published in the last ten years that focus on the intrinsic anticancer properties of REE-based molecular complexes and nanostructures, without discussing their recognized imaging functions. Rare-earth compounds exhibit selective cytotoxicity against malignant cells via mechanisms that mainly include modulations in the generation of reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial dysfunctions, interaction with DNA molecules, apoptosis, and ferroptosis induction, as well as radiosensitization. Molecular complexes that are based on the trivalent coordination chemistry of REEs enable them to target biomolecules like DNA and serum albumin. Nanostructured systems, on the other hand, render tumors more responsive to treatment by improving the cellular uptake, enabling surface functionalization, and controlling ROS generation. Terbium, thulium, yttrium, scandium, ytterbium, cerium, erbium, dysprosium, and europium show different levels of anticancer activity in both in vitro and in vivo cancer models. They often exert more toxicity in tumor cells than in normal tissues, thus exhibiting selective anticancer effects. The findings collectively underscore the therapeutic potential of REE-based compounds as novel metal-based anticancer agents and advocate for additional mechanistic and translational research to enhance their clinical applicability. Full article
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