Cover Picture: Are We Entering the Nano Era? (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 46/2014)

Abstract

Nanotechnology has become ubiquitous in our everyday lives, from medicine and information storage to sunscreens and cosmetics. With so many applications, its risks also need to be considered. This issue, which starts with an Editorial by Y. Xia on page 12268, gives an overview of the most recent developments and challenges of nanotechnology. It contains five Reviews on current topics including nanosafety research, nanoparticles in the environment, inorganic nanoparticles, soot nanoparticles, and nanoparticles for drug delivery, as well as Communications that cover the whole spectrum of nanotechnology, from fundamental studies to catalysis, energy, and materials research. Nanotechnology has become ubiquitous in our everyday lives, from medicine and information storage to sunscreens and cosmetics. With so many applications, its risks also need to be considered. This issue, which starts with an Editorial by Y. Xia on page 12268, gives an overview of the most recent developments and challenges of nanotechnology. It contains five Reviews on current topics including nanosafety research, nanoparticles in the environment, inorganic nanoparticles, soot nanoparticles, and nanoparticles for drug delivery, as well as Communications that cover the whole spectrum of nanotechnology, from fundamental studies to catalysis, energy, and materials research. Nanoshells F. Caruso, Y. Lee, I. S. Choi, and co-workers show in their Communication on page 12420 that a cytoprotective nanoshell can be formed on individual yeast cells from a coordination complex of tannic acid and FeIII ions.1 Binary Superlattices In their Communication on page 12548 ff., S.-M. Choi et al. report highly ordered binary superlattices of 1D nano-objects obtained from single-walled carbon nanotubes and cylindrical surfactant micelles.1 DNA Nanotechnology S. Howorka et al. report in their Communication on page 12466 ff. how nanopores composed of folded DNA featuring a hydrophobic belt of ethyl phosphorothioate groups insert into bilayer membranes and kill cancer cells.1