In order to recognize some of the outstanding work published in the journal, as well as the authors behind those articles, we annually award a Nanoscale Horizons Outstanding Paper Award. The prizes recognise the contributions of all authors and celebrate these exceptional publications.
Each year, we look back at the exceptionally high quality and innovative nanoscience published during the previous calendar year and put together a shortlist of articles using a variety of metrics including article downloads, Altmetric score, and citations. The shortlist is reviewed by the journal's Editorial and Advisory Board members based on the science presented and its potential future impact.
Our 2023 winners
Outstanding Article winner
Ultrafast sensitivity-controlled and specific detection of extracellular vesicles using optical force with antibody-modified microparticles in a microflow system
Kana Fujiwara, Yumiko Takagi, Mamoru Tamura, Mika Omura, Kenta Morimoto, Ikuhiko Nakase, Shiho Tokonami and Takuya Iida
This study demonstrates a high-throughput method to measure, approximately 103–104 nanoscale extracellular vesicles (EVs) contained in a 500 nL sample within 5 minutes using microflow-type light-induced acceleration system (LAC-SYS) by skipping ultracentrifugation.
Outstanding Article runner-up
Template-directed 2D nanopatterning of S = 1/2 molecular spins
Kyungju Noh, Luciano Colazzo, Corina Urdaniz, Jaehyun Lee, Denis Krylov, Parul Devi, Andrin Doll, Andreas J. Heinrich, Christoph Wolf, Fabio Donati and Yujeong Bae
This article reports a surface reaction pathway enabling the simultaneous realization of an individually addressable VOPc 2D spin array with controlled spin-spin distance and substrate decoupling.
Outstanding Review winner
Memristor-based neural networks: a bridge from device to artificial intelligence
Zelin Cao, Bai Sun, Guangdong Zhou, Shuangsuo Mao, Shouhui Zhu, Jie Zhang, Chuan Ke, Yong Zhao and Jinyou Shao
This review discusses the technologies relevant to the integration of neural networks based on memristors from materials to applications. It explores the development status, basic operating principle, and key challenges of memristor-based neural networks, and some of their potential scalable applications.
See all our previous winners
Selection process
Find out who is eligible for this award and see who is on the selection panel.
To be eligible to receive a Nanoscale Horizons Outstanding Paper Award you must have published an article in the journal in the previous calendar year. All submissions will be subject to initial assessment and peer review as appropriate according to the journal’s guidelines.
The editorial team draw up a shortlist of papers based on a variety of metrics including article downloads, Altmetric score, and citations.
Winner(s) are selected by the Nanoscale Horizons Editorial and Advisory Boards.
Selection panel
Previous winners
Nanoscale Horizons Outstanding Articles
2022 winner: Biomimetic reconstruction of butterfly wing scale nanostructures for radiative cooling and structural coloration
2022 runner-up: Shining light in blind alleys: deciphering bacterial attachment in silicon microstructures
2021 joint winner: Synthesis of monodisperse high entropy alloy nanocatalysts from core@shell nanoparticles
2021 joint winner: Ferroelectric polymer-based artificial synapse for neuromorphic computing
2020 winner: Lead-free, stable, high-efficiency (52%) blue luminescent FA3Bi2Br9 perovskite quantum dots
2020 runner-up: The biomolecule corona of lipid nanoparticles contains circulating cell-free DNA
2019 winner: Additive-manufacturing of 3D glass-ceramics down to nanoscale resolution
2019 runner-up: Detecting and targeting senescent cells using molecularly imprinted nanoparticles
2018 runner-up: A location- and sharpness-specific tactile electronic skin based on staircase-like nanowire patches
Nanoscale Horizons Outstanding Reviews
2021 winner: Nanoarchitectonics: what's coming next after nanotechnology?
2020 winner: Dynamic DNA nanotechnology: toward functional nanoscale devices
2019 winner: Recent advances of bioinspired functional materials with specific wettability: from nature and beyond nature
2018 winner: Multifunctional nanozymes: enzyme-like catalytic activity combined with magnetism and surface plasmon resonance