Author Archive

NJC Poster Prize Winners at Metals and Genetics Meeting

Three young scientists were recognized for their contributions at the 6th International Conference on Metals and Genetics, which took place earlier this year at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore.

The winners (in no particular order) of the NJC Poster Prizes awarded at this conference were:

Mr Vadde Ramu, National Chemical Laboratory, Pune
Poster title: New imaging reagents for lipid dense regions in live cells and the nucleus in fixed MCF-7 cells

The presented work is part of Vadde’s Ph.D. thesis, carried out under the supervision of Dr. Amitava Das. Vadde will be defending his thesis work this month and is moving to Jena for a post-doctoral position in October.

The presented research work demonstrated the design and synthesis of two new uracil (U) and 5-flurouracil (5-FU) labelled ruthenium(II)-polypyridyl based cellular imaging reagents. These two complexes were found to show affinity towards DNA in the nucleus of the PFA fixed cells. A large Stokes shift (λ = 160 nm) and an appreciably long-lived 3MLCT excited state (λ = 320 ns) in aq. buffer medium (pH 7.4) are other key features of these complexes. Unlike the common nuclear DNA staining reagents like DAPI, these low-cytotoxic reagents are found to be highly stable towards photo-bleaching upon irradiation with λ > 455 nm at the MLCT band for these complexes.

Mr Samsuzzoha Mondal, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai
Poster title: Sensing Signalling Phospholipids with ‘Lanthano-proteins’

Samsuzzoha is a Ph.D. student working in the group of Dr. Ankona Datta. He is in his final year and expects to defend his degree in mid-2017.

His present research is about developing fluorescent probes for imaging the crucial phospholipids involved in cell signaling processes. Currently available genetically encoded fluorescent probes lack ‘on-off’ sensing and have problems with background signal. Hence tracking the spatio-temporal dynamics of phospholipids in a live cellular process with those fluorescent proteins is challenging. The authors are addressing this issue by developing novel fluorescent probes with ‘turn on’ or ‘ratiometric’ fluorescence sensing. The poster presents a ‘lanthano’-protein based ‘turn on’ sensor for phosphatidylserine, a phospholipid involved in cell-death signals mediation and several other signaling processes. Additionally, a recently developed, cell permeable, ratiometric sensor for phosphoinositides, the most important signaling phospholipids in the cellular system, is demonstrated.


Ms Tandrila Das, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
Poster title: Vacancy-Engineered Nanoceria: Enzyme Mimetic Hotspots for the degradation of Nerve Agents

Tandrila did the work presented in the poster as a 5th year BS-MS student under the direction of Prof. Govindasamy Mugesh. She is now a 1st year student in the Tri-Institutional Ph.D. program in chemical biology offered by Weill Cornell Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and The Rockefeller University (all located in New York City).

The study of phosphotriesterase (PTE) enzymes and synthesis of its structural and functional mimics has been a long time interest of the lab. PTE enzymes degrade organophosphorus nerve agents, which are known to inhibit acetylcholine esterase, thus resulting in paralysis, respiratory failure, etc.  For her Master’s thesis, Tandrila worked on developing a nano-mimic of PTE enzyme. The poster work showed that vacancy engineered nanoceria (CeO2) with Ce in both +3 and +4 oxidation states very efficiently act as a catalyst to hydrolyze organophosphorus nerve agents like paraoxon, parathion, etc.

(The photo shows Tandrila on the left with co-author Dr Amit Vernekar, currently a post-doc in the Lippard group at MIT.)

Congratulations to the 3 laureates, and best wishes for continuing success in their research and careers.

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Programs of the NJC Symposia in Canada (June 2015)

The 4th series of NJC Symposia: New Directions in Chemistry is just two weeks away. Be sure to register now to meet the editors and Editorial Board of NJC during one of the three days on our schedule.


Dates:

June 2 at the Université de Montréal (Host: Professor Davit ZARGARIAN) Pavillon J-A Bombardier, Salle 1035

June 3 at McGill University (Host: Professor Robin ROGERS) Otto Maass Chemistry Bldg, Room 217

June 5 at York University (Host: Professor Gino LAVOIE) Lassonde Bldg, Auditorium C

Each day-long symposium begins at 9 am. The detailed scientific programs are given below (click on an image to see a larger view).

These symposia are free and open to all interested persons. You are kindly asked to register (so that we know how many of you to expect for coffee). Once on the Announcement page, you can click on the name of the university where you wish to attend the symposium. You will then be connected to the EventBrite website to order your free ticket.

New Journal of Chemistry 2015 Symposium

Program of the NJC Symposium at University of Montreal on June 2nd

New Journal of Chemistry 2015 Symposium

Program of the NJC Symposium at McGill University on June 3rd

New Journal of Chemistry 2015 Symposium

Program of the NJC Symposium at York University on June 5th

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Announcing the 2015 NJC Symposia in Canada

After Alsace, China and Sweden, the 4th NJC Symposia will take place in eastern Canada in June 2015. Three one-day events are scheduled, during which NJC board members and invited guest speakers will present their work around the theme of New Directions in Chemistry.

Please join us to meet…
Members of the NJC Editorial Board who will be participating in the 2015 NJC Symposia are:
Editor-in-Chief Professor Mir Wais HOSSEINI (University of Strasbourg, France)
Associate Editor Professor Peter JUNK (James Cook University, Australia)
Professor Len BARBOUR (University of Stellenbosch, South Africa)
Professor Debbie CRANS (Colorado State University, USA)
Professor Takashi KATO (University of Tokyo, Japan)
Professor Christina MOBERG (KTH, Stockholm, Sweden)
Professor Sijbren OTTO (University of Groningen, The Netherlands)
Professor Dai-Wen PANG (Wuhan University, China)
NJC Managing Editor Dr Denise PARENT (CNRS, Montpellier, France) will also be present.

Dates:
June 2 at the Université de Montréal (Host: Professor Davit ZARGARIAN)
June 3 at McGill University (Host: Professor Robin ROGERS)
June 5 at York University (Host: Professor Gino LAVOIE)
The scientific programs will be available soon. Please check this blog in about two weeks.

These symposia are free and open to all interested persons. You are kindly asked to register (so that we know how many of you to expect) by clicking on the name of the university in the table below—where you wish to attend the symposium. (You will be connected to the EventBrite website to order your free ticket.)

Université de Montréal McGill University York University
June 2 June 3 June 5
Université de Montréal Logo McGill University Logo

We all look forward to meeting you in Montréal or Toronto in June!

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NJC Call-for Papers: themed issue on Emergent Polyoxometalates and Soft-oxometalates

Metal-oxide based (usually charged) clusters span two states of matter: crystalline (solid) state and soft (liquid) state. In the crystalline state the clusters exist as discrete entities, as polyoxometalates. In the liquid state the clusters exist as soft-oxometalates (which includes super-structures resulting from unusual association phenomenon). Other clusters of similar or related composition are likely to have properties and applications that compare to those of the more defined POMs and SOMs. Emergent properties of oxometalates and related clusters in catalysis, as active materials, and for biological applications involving both polyoxometalates and soft-oxometalates are areas of rapid development.

The present themed issue aims to bring under one umbrella state-of-the-art research activities in molecular materials and active soft-matter through to biological applications involving polyoxometalates, clusters and soft-oxometalates. Starting from the design of molecular materials based on polyoxometalates or other defined building blocks to the exploration of their catalytic potential in the matter of water oxidation, the fabrication of fuel cells, and conventional catalysis, this issue will also touch upon the biological applications of polyoxometalates. Contributions of recent advances in the use of soft-oxometalates for the construction of materials, in catalysis, phase transitions, patterning, overarching the areas of active soft-matter and biology, where oxometalates also play a role, are also solicited.

Research papers and reviews dealing with the presented fields are welcome for the preparation of this themed issue of the New Journal of Chemistry.

Scope
Contributions based on poly- and soft-oxometalate and cluster research that can lead to emergent phenomena and futuristic materials with a wide range of applications. Papers and reviews covering the conception and realisation of the POMs/SOMs and related clusters, their fundamental properties, perspectives for soft-matter, biological effects, and applications (including, but not limited to, in water oxidation, catalysis, and biology).

Guest Editors
Prof. Soumyajit Roy (Materials Science Centre, Indian Institute of Science Education & Research, Kolkata, India)
Prof. Debbie C. Crans (Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA)

How to submit and deadline
Contributions to this themed issue are to be made through the NJC manuscript submission website. Please clearly indicate in the comments to editor that the contribution is intended for the Emergent POM-Cluster-SOM themed issue.

Please use the appropriate manuscript template and select the correct format for your contribution when submitting your manuscript. The formats are clearly defined in the table below. 
All contributions will undergo the usual evaluation process (download the January 2015 editorial here).

The deadline to submit is May 1, 2015. Contributions received after this date will be considered but inclusion in the themed issue, if accepted, is not guaranteed.


Chart of manuscript formats published in NJC


For further information:
Read NJC
More news
Submit to NJC
Contact us: NJC “at” UM2.FR

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NJC Editor-in-Chief recipient of award in macrocyclic chemistry

Mir Wais Hosseini, Professor at the Faculty of Chemistry of the University of Strasbourg and at the Institut Universitaire de France (IUF) has been honoured with the 2014 Izatt Christensen Award for Macrocyclic Chemistry. Professor Hosseini was presented with the award at the 9th International Symposium on Macrocyclic and Supramolecular Chemistry, held in Shanghai in June 2014.

Presentation of the Izatt-Christensen award at the 2014 ISMSC meeting.

Presentation of the 2014 Izatt-Christensen Award to Mir Wais Hosseini (middle), flanked by ISMSC-9 Chair Zhanting Li (Fudan University) and former recipient Makoto Fujita (The University of Tokyo).

This award, given to the top macrocyclic chemist in the world as selected by his/(her) peers, is sponsored by IBC Advanced Technologies, Inc. and is awarded yearly. Professor Hosseini received the award for his work in molecular tectonics and molecular machines. He joins a prestigous group of chemists working in the broad area of macrocyclic chemistry, including his Strasbourg colleague Jean-Pierre Sauvage, who received the first Izatt Christensen Award in 1991.

An overview (in French) of the research topics studied in Professor Hosseini’s group can be found on his laboratory website.

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NJC call-for-papers: ‘Frontiers of Organo-f-element Chemistry’ themed issue

As part of the Pacifichem 2015 conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA (December 15–20, 2015), there will be a symposium devoted to the topic ‘Frontiers of Organo-f-element Chemistry‘. This symposium will focus on recent advances and future directions in the organometallic chemistry of lanthanide and actinide elements. It is intended to cover all fundamental and technological aspects of organo-f-element chemistry.

Organo-f-element chemistry continues to be one of the most attractive fields for potential applications in homogeneous catalysis and organic synthesis. The main goal of this symposium is to bring together the world’s leading experts in the field to discuss and elucidate current trends in fundamental and applied organo-f-element chemistry and to identify the most promising future developments for the next decade.

Scope
New Journal of Chemistry (NJC), an CNRS journal published by the RSC, will publish a thematic issue on organo-f-element chemistry in October 2015, shortly before the symposium. The symposium invited speakers have agreed to contribute to this thematic issue. We cordially invite you to join them with your contribution in the broad area of organo-f-element chemistry.

All aspects of organo-f-element chemistry (lanthanides and actinides, theoretical and synthetic studies, catalysis and materials science) are welcome. Full Papers, Letters (communications with limited data and a single message; 4-page limit), Perspective  reviews (with no length limitations) and Focus reviews on a topic of current interest (6-page limit) will be accepted.
 

Guest Editors
Professor Dr. Frank T. Edelmann (Madgeburg, Germany)
Professor Peter Junk (James Cook University, Australia)

How to submit and deadline
Please use the manuscript templates for your contributions and submit using the NJC manuscript submission website. Please clearly indicate in the ‘Comments to the Editor’ section that the contribution is intended for the Organo-f Element themed issue.

Please select the correct format for your contribution. These are clearly defined in the table below.

All contributions will undergo the usual evaluation process (see the January 2014 editorial for further details).

 

The deadline to submit is March 1, 2015.
 Contributions received after this date will be considered but inclusion in the themed issue, if accepted, is not guaranteed.

 

Specifications for NJC manuscript formats

For further information:
Read NJC
More news
Submit to NJC
Contact us: NJC “at” univ-montp2.fr

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Meet NJC Editors at 2014 Summer Conferences

NJC is sponsoring several conferences during the coming summer months, starting in just a couple of weeks. We look forward to meeting you at one of these events.

15th French-American Chemical Society Meeting Logo Managing Editor Denise Parent will be attending the 15th French-American Chemical Society Meeting: June 1–5 in Avignon (France), at which Dr Rémi Chauvin will give the NJC Lecture.
97th Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition Logo NJC is a sponsor of two symposia at the Canadian Chemistry Society Conference: June 1–5 in Vancouver (Canada). The sponsored symposia are “pi-Conjugated Materials: From Design to Application” (Chairs: Jaclyn Brusso and Dwight Seferos) and “Functional Inorganic and Hybrid Polymers” (Chairs: Thomas Baumgartner, Derek Gates, Jens Müller).
1st International Symposium on Halogen Bonding logo Denise Parent will also be attending the 1st International Symposium on Halogen Bonding: June 18–22 in Porto Cesareo (Italy), for which NJC is a sponsor.
20th International Conference on Phosphorus Chemistry Assistant Editor Laurent Vial will represent NJC at the 2014 International Conference on Phosphorus Chemistry: June 28–July 2 in Dublin (Ireland). NJC will sponsor a coffee break for attendees.
12th European Biological Inorganic Chemistry Conference Logo NJC is also sponsoring the 12th European Biological Inorganic Chemistry Conference: August 24–28 in Zurich (Switzerland).
 

NJC‘s editors will also be attending a number of other conferences this summer. Feel free to contact our editors if you too will be attending one of these events.

• Assistant Editor Yannick Guari is an invited speaker at the annual Gecom-CONCOORD meeting: May 18–23 in Vers (France).

• Assistant Editor Ling Peng will be giving a lecture at the BioDendrimer 2014 meeting: June 18–20 in Lugano (Switzerland), which NJC has also supported in the past.

• Associate Editor Peter Junk will be a participant in the 27th Rare Earth Research Conference: June 22–26 in Lake Tahoe (USA).

Yannick Guari will also be at the 14th International Conference on Molecule-Based Magnets: Juy 5–10 in St Petersburg (Russia).

• Associate Editor Jaïrton Dupont, as a member of the International Advisory Board, will be attending the 19th International Symposium on Homogenous Catalysis: July 6–11 in Ottawa (Canada).

• In July Peter Junk will attend meetings on 3 continents. Look for him at the following meetings:
Terrae Rare: July 7–12 in Cologne (Germany); XXVI International Conference on Organometallic Chemistry: July 13–18 in Sapporo (Japan); 8th Australian Organometallic Chemistry Symposium: July 22–25 in Magnetic Island (Australia).

Ling Peng will be attending Challenges in Organic Chemistry (ISACS14): August 7–10 in Shanghai (China).

Jaïrton Dupont is an invited lecturer at the Gordon Conference on Ionic Liquids: August 17–22 at the Sunday River Resort (USA).

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Update for the NJC Symposia in Sweden

Last announcement! The 3rd series of NJC Symposia: New Directions in Chemistry will take place in May 2014. These symposia are being organised with the collaboration of KTH in Stockholm and Lund University. The NJC Board and editors are being hosted by Profs Mikael Lindström and Christina Moberg at KTH and Prof. Ola Wendt in Lund. We warmly thank the hosts and their institutions for their support in making these events possible.

Schedule
May 21st: KTH Royal Institute of Technology, School of Chemical Science & Engineering, Lecture Hall K1, from 9 am to 5 pm
May 23rd: Lund University, Kemicentrum, Lecture Hall B, from 9 am to 5:30 pm

We hope to meet many colleagues from Sweden but also Denmark, Norway and Finland during these 2 days.

If you wish to attend, please contact either Christina Moberg (kino ‘at’ kth.se) for the Stockholm date or Ola Wendt (Ola.Wendt ‘at’ chem.lu.se) for the Lund date to register your interest.

Full details are on the flyers and programs below (click on an image to see a larger image).

NJC Symposium at KTH on May 21, 2014NJC Symposium at KTH on May 21, 2014
NJC Symposium at Lund University on May 23, 2014NJC Symposium at Lund University on May 23, 2014

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NJC issue 4 out now

NJC issue 4 outside cover An article by Shiguo Sun (Northwest A&F University, China) and co-workers features on this month’s front cover. In their work, the authors of this paper employed the host–guest chemistry between CB[8] and acridine orange to investigate its interaction with DNA/RNA.

The results highlighted that the host–guest chemistry of CB[8] provides a convenient and efficient way to solve the autofluorescence problem of the tricyclic basic dyes, and that the method can be employed to fluorescence discriminate DNA from RNA and quantitatively detect trace levels of DNA.

Discrimination of DNA from RNA with the host–guest complexes of tricyclic basic dyes and cucurbit[8]uril
Fusheng Li, Yongqian Xu, Hongjuan Li, Chaoxia Wang, Aiping Lu and Shiguo Sun.
New J. Chem., 2014, 38, 1396–1400. DOI: 10.1039/C3NJ01178J.

 

NJC issue 4 inside cover

The inside cover was designed by Magda Blosi (Institute of Science and Technology for Ceramics, Italy). In their paper, Dr Blosi and her colleagues focused on developing a green synthesis process for the production of PVP-coated noble metal nanoparticles in the form of stable nanosols.

The focus on the colloidal stability together with the eco-friendly method represents a key point in view of a large-scale production. In fact, dealing with nanoparticles in form of suspensions represents an essential goal both from a safety point of view and for the subsequent process steps.

According to them, the synthesis versatility and the strong variation of the catalytic activity detected for different metals, make this process very promising for the production of bimetallic nanostructures enabling synergistic effects.

Green and easily scalable microwave synthesis of noble metal nanosols (Au, Ag, Cu, Pd) usable as catalysts
M. Blosi, S. Albonetti, S. Ortelli, A. L. Costa, L. Ortolani and M. Dondi.
New J. Chem., 2014, 38, 1401-1409. DOI: 10.1039/C3NJ00894K.

 

Read all 59 articles in this month’s issue here.

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Read the March issue of NJC

by Cynthia Challencin, Publishing Assistant

NJC March outside front coverThe March issue outside front cover was designed by Jonathan Steed (Durham University), former NJC Associate Editor, and Jonathan Foster (University of Cambridge). The two authors and co-workers wrote a paper dealing with supramolecular gelators with different fibre morphologies used as templates to form mesoporous covalent polymers with different pore shapes. These materials have found use in applications such as filtration, storage, catalysis, cell growth, drug delivery and as rewritable materials.

Using gel morphology to control pore shape by Jonathan A. Foster, David W. Johnson, Mark-Oliver M. Pipenbrock and Jonathan W. Steed, New J. Chem., 2014, 38, 927-932. DOI: 10.1039/C3NJ01295F.

In their article, Seiya Kobatake, who designed the inside front cover, and his colleaguesNJC March inside front cover report on photochemical and thermal reaction behavior of thiophene-S,S-dioxidized diarylethenes having various alkyl groups at the reactive positions. Their results provide the new strategy for molecular design to make the molecules showing light-starting irreversible thermosensors.

Alkyl substituent effects in photochemical and thermal reactions of photochromic thiophene-S,S-dioxidized diarylethenes by Hiroaki Shoji, Daichi Kitagawa and Seiya Kobatake, New J. Chem., 2014, 38, 933-941. DOI: 10.1039/C3NJ01246H.

Do not hesitate to read the whole issue available online at: NJC 2014, issue 3

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