These papers are free to access until 16th July! 

Naphthodithiophenes as building units for small molecules to polymers; a case study for in-depth understanding of structure–property relationships in organic semiconductors
Itaru Osaka, Shoji Shinamura, Toru Abe and Kazuo Takimiya

Multi-layered mesoporous TiO2 thin films with large pores and highly crystalline frameworks for efficient photoelectrochemical conversion
Dan Feng, Wei Luo, Junyong Zhang, Ming Xu, Renyuan Zhang, Haoyu Wu, Lingying Lv, Abdullah M. Asiri, Sher Bahader Khan, Mohammed M. Rahman, Gengfeng Zheng and Dongyuan Zhao  

Magnesium and magnesium-silicide coated silicon nanowire composite anodes for lithium-ion batteries
Alireza Kohandehghan, Peter Kalisvaart, Martin Kupsta, Beniamin Zahiri, Babak Shalchi Amirkhiz, Zhipeng Li, Elmira L. Memarzadeh, Leonid A. Bendersky and David Mitlin

These papers are free to access until 9th July! 

Effects of self-assembled monolayer structural order, surface homogeneity and surface energy on pentacene morphology and thin film transistor device performance
Daniel Orrin Hutchins, Tobias Weidner, Joe Baio, Brent Polishak, Orb Acton, Nathan Cernetic, Hong Ma and Alex K.-Y. Jen

These papers are free to access until 1st July!

                  

The Guest Editors of the issue will be Professor Fabio Biscarini (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy) and Dr Massimiliano Cavallini (Institute of Nanostructured Materials, CNR Bologna, Italy).

Molecular and polymeric multifunctional materials are relevant to many fields of technology, from optoelectronics, spintronics, information storage, magnetism, biosensing and energy production. They are designed to combine multiple properties and functional groups to control their self-organisation into a variety of supramolecular architectures. The technological control should not be limited to either the molecular level or in bulk, instead should span the different length scales. Devices require the control of size and position, and the integration of different materials.

The deadline for the receipt of manuscripts for this themed issue is 1 July 2013

Manuscripts can be submitted using the RSC’s online submissions service. Please clearly mark that the manuscript is submitted for the themed issue on ‘Nanotechnology of Multifunctional Materials’.

Please would you inform the editorial office by e-mail at materialsC-rsc@rsc.org as soon as possible if you plan to submit to the issue and whether your contribution will be original research or a review-type article. We would like to have a list of authors who intend to contribute as soon as possible.

                  

Painting used to test method with a white dot to show test area (left). Test area before (middle) and after (right) cleaning

Painting restoration could be yet another application for ionic liquids, new research shows. The work paves the way to safer procedures for cleaning paintings.

Over time, varnish applied to the top of oil paintings tends to yellow and accumulate dirt. Current conservation methods involve cleaning paintings with organic solvents but these pose environmental and health risks. Now, researchers in Portugal have demonstrated that using ionic liquids is a less toxic way to remove varnishes from paintings.

Varnish removal from paintings using ionic liquids
Maria Filipa Pacheco, Ana Isabel Pereira, Luís C. Branco and A. Jorge Parola
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C3TA10679A

                  

We are delighted to announce Professor Xinliang Feng has won the 2013 Journal of Materials Chemistry Lectureship.

Professor Feng is the fourth winner of the Journal of Materials Chemistry Lectureship. The Journal of Materials Chemistry Executive Editorial Board chose Professor Feng in recognition of the contribution he has made to the materials chemistry field.

Professor Feng will present the lectureship at ICMAT 2013 later this year and will be presented with the award by the Managing Editor of the journals Dr Liz Dunn.

Profesor Feng received his Bachelor’s degree in analytic chemistry from the China University of Geosciences in 2001. Then he obtained his Master’s degree in organic chemistry from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in March 2004, where he worked on the synthesis of fluorinated ion-exchange resins and polymer-supported organic catalysts. Later on he moved to Professor Herbert Mayr’s group at the University of Munich in April 2004 for a short period to conduct research on the nucelofugality and electrofugality in organic solvolysis. In September 2004, he joined the group of Professor Klaus Mullen at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research for a PhD thesis on the synthesis and supramolecular chemistry of novel polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, where he obtained his PhD degree in April 2008.

In December 2007, he was appointed as project leader at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research. And since 2011, he became an adjunct distinguished professor at the Shanghai Jiao Tong University and was appointed as the director for the Institute of Advanced Organic Materials.

His current scientific interests include the synthesis and self-organization of extended graphene molecules, novel conjugated oligomers and polymers, and testing for applications in organic electronic devices, processable graphene sheets for transparent electrodes and organic electronics, functional organic nanomaterials for energy oriented application, graphene-based 2D nanomaterials and low-dimensional nanostructured functional carbon-rich as well as hybrid materials for energy storage and conversion, 2D conjugated and supramolecular polymers for opto-electronic applications.

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In this Hot Article, Varcoe and co-workers investigate the Nafion-based systems using a combination of vibration spectroscopy, solid state NMR and measurement of ion exchange capabilities.  They find strong evidence that membranes synthesised by the reported procedure are predominantly in the cation-exchange form. These findings suggest that, contrary to previous reports, the membranes are not suitable for use in electrochemical devices requiring anion exchange polymer electrolytes, such as APEFCs.

The reaction between Nafion sulfonyl fluoride precursor membrane and 1, 4-dimethylpiperazine does not yield reliable anion-exchange membranes

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2013,1, 1018-1021 DOI: 10.1039/C2TA00955B

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Two-dimensional semiconductors: recent progress and future perspectives 
Xiufeng Song,  Jinlian Hu and   Haibo Zeng 
J. Mater. Chem. C, 2013,1, 2952-2969 
DOI: 10.1039/C3TC00710C 

Ferroelectric nanoparticles, wires and tubes: synthesis, characterisation and applications 
Justin Varghese, Roger W. Whatmore and Justin D. Holmes 
J. Mater. Chem. C, 2013,1, 2618-2638 
DOI: 10.1039/C3TC00597F 

Development of high performance OLEDs for general lighting 
Hisahiro Sasabe and Junji Kido 
J. Mater. Chem. C, 2013,1, 1699-1707 
DOI: 10.1039/C2TC00584K 

Dihydropyrroloindoledione-based copolymers for organic electronics 
Joseph W. Rumer,  Sheng-Yao Dai, Matthew Levick, Youngju Kim, Marie-Beatrice Madec, Raja S. Ashraf, Zhenggang Huang,  Stephan Rossbauer, Bob Schroeder, Laure Biniek, Scott E. Watkins, Thomas D. Anthopoulos, Rene A. J. Janssen, James R. Durrant, David J. Procter and   Iain McCulloch
J. Mater. Chem. C, 2013,1, 2711-2716 
DOI: 10.1039/C3TC30184B 

Advances in the synthesis of ZnO nanomaterials for varistor devices 
Suresh C. Pillai, John M. Kelly, Raghavendra Ramesh and Declan E. McCormack 
J. Mater. Chem. C, 2013, Advance Article 
DOI: 10.1039/C3TC00575E 

Hierarchically self-assembled helical aromatic conjugated polymers 
Kazuyoshi Watanabe, Kiyoshi Suda and Kazuo Akagi 
J. Mater. Chem. C, 2013,1, 2797-2805 
DOI: 10.1039/C3TC00045A 

Solution-processed core-extended naphthalene diimides toward organic n-type and ambipolar semiconductors
Kazuyoshi Watanabe, Kiyoshi Suda and   Kazuo Akagi 
J. Mater. Chem. C, 2013,1, 2688-2695 
DOI: 10.1039/C3TC00799E 

A host material consisting of a phosphinic amide directly linked donor–acceptor structure for efficient blue phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes 
Atsushi Wada, Takuma Yasuda, Qisheng Zhang, Yu Seok Yang, Isao Takasu, Shintaro Enomoto and Chihaya Adachi   
J. Mater. Chem. C, 2013,1, 2404-2407 
DOI: 10.1039/C3TC00939D 

High performance ink-jet printed diketopyrrolopyrrole-based copolymer thin-film transistors using a solution-processed aluminium oxide dielectric on a flexible substrate
Sung Hoon Kim,  Il Kang,  Youn Goo Kim,  Hye Rim Hwang,  Yun-Hi Kim,  Soon-Ki Kwon and   Jin Jang
J. Mater. Chem. C, 2013,1, 2408-2411 
DOI: 10.1039/C3TC00718A 

Fused porphyrinoids as promising near-infrared absorbing dyes 
Hirotaka Mori, Takayuki Tanaka and   Atsuhiro  
J. Mater. Chem. C, 2013,1, 2500-2519 
DOI: 10.1039/C3TC00932G 

Why not take a look at the articles today and blog your thoughts and comments below.

Fancy submitting an article to Journal of Materials Chemistry C? Then why not submit to us today!

                  

In this hot paper, Howse and co-workers used high speed stroboscopic fluorescence microscopy to observe directly the development  of phase separated structures in poly(styrene) and poly(9,9’-dioctylfluorene) blends during the spin-coating process. Their feedback-modulated spin coating technique enabled unprecedented control over the thin-film morphology, and presents a route towards increased efficiency in the manufacture of LED and OPV devices.

Directed phase separation of PFO:PS blends during spin-coating using feedback controlled in situ stroboscopic fluorescence microscopy

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2013, 1, 3587-3592 DOI: 10.1039/C3TA01530K

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Carbon “quantum” dots for optical bioimaging 
Pengju G. Luo, Sushant Sahu, Sheng-Tao Yang, Sumit K. Sonkar, Jinping Wang, Haifang Wang, Gregory E. LeCroy, Li Cao and Ya-Ping Sun 
J. Mater. Chem. B, 2013,1, 2116-2127 
DOI: 10.1039/C3TB00018D 

Fluorescence imaging of cancer tissue based on metal-free polymeric nanoparticles – a review 
Antje Vollrath, Stephanie Schubert and Ulrich S. Schubert 
J. Mater. Chem. B, 2013,1, 1994-2007 
DOI: 10.1039/C3TB20089B 

ß-Cyclodextrin-crosslinked alginate gel for patient-controlled drug delivery systems: regulation of host–guest interactions with mechanical stimuli 
Hironori Izawa, Kohsaku Kawakami, Masato Sumita, Yoshitaka Tateyama, Jonathan P. Hilla and Katsuhiko Ariga 
J. Mater. Chem. B, 2013,1, 2155-2161 
DOI: 10.1039/C3TB00503H 

One-step preparation of nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots from oxidized debris of graphene oxide 
Chaofan Hu, Yingliang Liu, Yunhua Yang, Jianghu Cui, Zirong Huang, Yaling Wang, Lufeng Yang, Haibo Wang, Yong Xiao and Jianhua Rong  
J. Mater. Chem. B, 2013,1, 39-42 
DOI: 10.1039/C2TB00189F 

Extremely high inhibition activity of photoluminescent carbon nanodots toward cancer cells 
Pin-Che Hsu, Po-Cheng Chen, Chung-Mao Ou, Hsin-Yun Chang and Huan-Tsung Chang 
J. Mater. Chem. B, 2013,1, 1774-1781 
DOI: 10.1039/C3TB00545C 

Nano- and microfabrication for overcoming drug delivery challenges 
Kimberly R. Kam and Tejal  A. Desai
J. Mater. Chem. B, 2013,1, 1878-1884 
DOI: 10.1039/C3TB00048F 

DNA-functionalized silver nanoclusters as a chemopalette: tunable fluorescence for turn-on detection of cysteine 
Guoliang Liu, Da-Qian Feng, Xiaoyu Mu, Wenjie Zheng, Tianfeng Chen, Li Qi and   Dan Li 
J. Mater. Chem. B, 2013,1, 2128-2131
DOI: 10.1039/C3TB20208A

A facile method to prepare high-performance magnetic and fluorescent bifunctional nanocomposites and their preliminary application in biomolecule detection 
Xiaoqun Gong,  Qi Zhang, Ye Cui, Shengjiang Zhu, Wenya Su, Qiuhua Yang and Jin Chang 
J. Mater. Chem. B, 2013,1, 2098-2106 
DOI: 10.1039/C3TB20061B 

Bifunctional quantum dot-decorated Ag@SiO₂ nanostructures for simultaneous immunoassays of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and surface-enhanced fluorescence (SEF) 
Xianfeng Zhang, Xianming Kong, Zhongpeng Lv, Shengwang Zhou and Xuezhong Du 
J. Mater. Chem. B, 2013,1, 2198-2204 
DOI: 10.1039/C3TB20069H 

Redox active gels: synthesis, structures and applications 
Xiaofeng Sui,  Xueling Feng, Mark A. Hempenius and   G. Julius Vancso 
J. Mater. Chem. B, 2013,1, 1658-1672 
DOI: 10.1039/C3TB00209H 

Why not take a look at the articles today and blog your thoughts and comments below.

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Dual-electrolyte lithium–air batteries: influence of catalyst, temperature, and solid-electrolyte conductivity on the efficiency and power density 
Longjun Li and   Arumugam Manthiram 
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2013,1, 5121-5127 
DOI: 10.1039/C3TA01241G 

Synthesis of a novel and stable g-C₃N₄–Ag₃PO₄ hybrid nanocomposite photocatalyst and study of the photocatalytic activity under visible light irradiation
Santosh Kumar, T. Surendar, Arabinda Baruah and Vishnu Shanker 
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2013,1, 5333-5340 
DOI: 10.1039/C3TA00186E 

LiMnPO₄– A next generation cathode material for lithium-ion batteries 
Vanchiappan Aravindan, Joe Gnanaraj, Yun-Sung Lee and Srinivasan Madhavi
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2013,1, 3518-3539 
DOI: 10.1039/C2TA01393B 

Selenophene vs. thiophene in benzothiadiazole-based low energy gap donor–acceptor polymers for photovoltaic applications 
Abdulaziz A. B. Alghamdi, Darren C. Watters, Hunan Yi, Solyman Al-Faifi, Mohammed S. Almeataq, David Coles, James Kingsley, David G. Lidzey and Ahmed Iraqi 
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2013,1, 5165-5171 
DOI: 10.1039/C3TA00122A 

Porous covalent–organic materials: synthesis, clean energy application and design 
Zhonghua Xiang and Dapeng Cao 
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2013,1, 2691-2718
DOI: 10.1039/C2TA00063F 

Facile synthesis of nitrogen-doped porous carbon for supercapacitors 
Bin Xu, Hui Duan, Mo Chu, Gaoping Cao and Yusheng Yanga
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2013,1, 4565-4570
DOI: 10.1039/C3TA01637D 

A triphenylamine-based four-armed molecule for solution-processed organic solar cells with high photo-voltage 
Qiong Hou, Yiquan Chen, Hongyu Zhen,  Zaifei Ma, Wenbiao Hong, Guang Shi and Fengling Zhang
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2013,1, 4937-4940 
DOI: 10.1039/C3TA10401J 

Sulfur embedded in metal organic framework-derived hierarchically porous carbon nanoplates for high performance lithium–sulfur battery 
Guiyin Xu, Bing Ding, Laifa Shen,  Ping Nie, Jinpeng Han and Xiaogang Zhang 
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2013,1, 4490-4496 
DOI: 10.1039/C3TA00004D 

Electrospinning of multilevel structured functional micro-/nanofibers and their applications 
Jing Wu, Nü Wang, Yong Zhao and Lei Jiang 
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2013, Advance Article 
DOI: 10.1039/C3TA10451F 

Recent progress in nanostructured electrocatalysts for PEM fuel cells 
Sheng Zhang, Yuyan Shao, Geping Yin and Yuehe Lin 
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2013,1, 4631-4641 
DOI: 10.1039/C3TA01161E 

Why not take a look at the articles today and blog your thoughts and comments below.

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In this hot paper, Manna and Pati use atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and density functional theory (DFT) to investigate the structural topology, energetics and electronic structure of ssDNA hybridized with graphene.  They find the adsorption process is influenced by competing π–π stacking interactions, which are highly dependent on the chemical nature of the nucleobase and the sequence type of the ssDNA.  Mixed nucleobase sequence ssDNA is proposed as a better candidate for dispersing graphene than ssDNA containing homologous base sequences.

This research provides a fundamental understanding of the adsorption of ssDNA on graphene, and therefore has important implications for the design of graphene-based biomaterials.

Theoretical understanding of single-stranded DNA assisted dispersion of graphene
J. Mater. Chem. B, 2013, 1, 91-100 DOI: 10.1039/C2TB00184E

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