Author Archive

RSC Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Series Celebrates 30 Titles

With the publication of its latest title, Artificial Cilia edited by Jaap den Toonder and Patrick Onck, the RSC Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Series celebrated publishing 30 books in the Series.

Nanoscience and nanotechnology research has grown considerably in recent years and the Series provides a comprehensive resource of the latest developments in the area. As well as covering key topics in nanoscience, including the characterisation, performance and properties of nanostructured materials and technologies, the books also reflect the different fields’ nanoscience covers, from energy and environmental applications to health and medicine.

The Series is led by Editor-in-Chief Paul O’Brien FRS, University of Manchester, UK with Series Editors Ralph Nuzzo, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA; Joao Rocha, University of Aveiro, Portugal and Xiaogang Liu, National University of Singapore.

Paul O’Brien FRS, the founding Editor, commented that ‘I had high hopes for the Series when we launched it in 2005, it has far exceeded my expectations. The success is due to the enthusiasm of both authors and readers for the Series, many titles sell out and are reprinted! It’s a great opportunity to thank all the team – my other Board members, the authors and the ever dependable team at the RSC’.

Recent Titles include:

  • Nanoscience for the Conservation of Works
  • Polymer Nanofibers
  • Polymer-Graphene Nanocomposites

Popular Titles include:

  • Nanotubes and Nanowires
  • Fullerenes
  • Nanocharacterisation
  • Nanofluidics
  • Nanotechnologies in Food

Don’t forget you can freely access the table of contents, preface, front matter and first chapter of every eBook in the Series via the RSC Publishing website.

If you have an idea for a book in the Series or just want to know more then please contact Commissioning Editor Leanne Marle.

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New Books on Smart Materials and Polymer Chemistry

Need to get an overview of the latest topics in Polymer Chemistry? Read the latest titles in the RSC Polymer Chemistry Series:

Fundamentals of Controlled/Living Radical PolymerizationFundamentals of Controlled/Living Radical Polymerizaion edited by Nicolay V. Tsarevsky, Southern Methodist University, USA and Brent S. Sumerlin, University of Florida, USA.

Provides an in-depth history, description, and mechanistic understanding of each of the controlled/living radical polymerization techniques and practical details necessary to carry out the reactions.

Functional Polymers for Nanomedicine edited by Youqing Shen, Zhejiang University, China

A complete overview of the different strategies for designing polymers for targeted gene therapy and drug delivery for researchers in polymer science, nanotechnology and pharmacy.

Functional Polymers for NanomedicineInterested in the latest developments in functional materials and their applications in biomedicine and energy? Find out more from the latest titles in the RSC Smart Materials Book Series:

Smart Materials for Drug Delivery (Volume 1 and Volume 2) edited by Carmen Alvarez-Lorenzo and Angel Concheiro, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Written by leading experts in the field, the book provides both an introduction to the key areas for graduate students and new researchers in the stimuli-responsive field as well as serving as a reference for those already working on fundamental materials research or their applications.

Look out for the following forthcoming new titles in Nano, Polymer and Materials Science:

Smart Materials for Drug Delivery

Responsive Photonic Nanostructuresedited by Yadong Yin, Unversity of California, Riverside, USA
Materials Design Inspired by Nature edited by Peter Fratzl , John Dunlop and Richard Weinkamer, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Germany
Nanoscience for the Conservation of Works of Art edited by Piero Baglioni and David Chelazzi, University of Florence, Italy
Water Droplets to Nanotechnology by Plinio Innocenzi, Luca Malfatti, University of Sassari, Italy and Paolo Falcaro, CSIRO, Australia
Polymer Nanofibers by Dario Pisignano, University of Salento, Italy

Don’t forget you can freely access the table of contents, preface, front matter and first chapter of every eBook via the RSC Publishing website

Book Reviews

Chemistry World says “It is impossible to do justice here to the immense amount of useful information this book contains.” about Materials for a Sustainable Future edited by Trevor M Letcher and Janet L Scott – read more in the article.

Meet the Team

Commissioning Editor Leanne Marle will be attending the 11th International Conference on Materials Chemistry (MC11), University of Warwick, UK, 8th -11th July. Do let me know if you are attending and would like to arrange a meeting to discuss book publishing with the Royal Society of Chemistry.

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New Nano, Polymer and Materials Science Books

To help you keep up-to-date with key topics in nano, polymer and materials Science, we are delighted to announce the publication of the following RSC Books.

Healable Polymer SystemsIn the RSC Polymer Chemistry Series:

Healable Polymer Systems edited by Wayne Hayes and Barnaby Greenland, University of Reading, UK

With contributions from leading experts, the book provides a reference text on self-healing polymers from a chemist’s perspective.

In the RSC Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Series:

Carbon Nanotube-Polymer Composites edited by Dimitrios Tasis, University of Patras, Greece

Summarizes the basic chemical aspects for obtaining multifunctional carbon nanotube-based polymer composites and highlights recent advances in the field.

 

 

Coming Soon: 

  • Fundamentals of Controlled/Living Radical Polymerizaion edited by Nicolay V. Tsarevsky, Southern Methodist University, USA and Brent S. Sumerlin, University of Florida, USA.
  • Functional Polymers for Nanomedicine edited by Youqing Shen, Zhejiang University, China
  • Smart Materials for Drug Delivery edited by Carmen Alvarez-Lorenzo and Angel Concheiro, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Spain

Don’t forget you can freely access the table of contents, preface, front matter and first chapter of every eBook via the RSC Publishing Website.

If you have an idea for a book or would like more information about our materials titles please contact the Materials Books Commissioning Editor, Leanne Marle

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New book – Polymer-Graphene Nanocomposites

The combination of graphene within polymer matrices produces a material with improved electrical, barrier and mechanical properties. This new book is the first, forward-thinking, publication of its kind to detail the various methodologies of graphene functionalization and subsequent generation of nanocomposites in a comprehensive way.

Covering the most recent developments in the generation of graphene nanocomposites synthesis it assimilates, in one place, all the necessary information required to provide the reader with in-depth insights into the various aspects of the subject. The concluding chapter provides a summary on the current status and future challenges associated with the subject.

Edited by Vikas Mittal, Polymer-Graphene Nanocomposites is a comprehensive handbook providing essential, highly toical, methods and strategies to the researcher.

Find out more – access the content.

Want to know more about different nanomaterials? Find out about our other titles in the RSC Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Series.

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Computing with Molecules

We are constantly taking in information, processing it, storing it and transferring it all because of our molecular systems. But it is only in recent years that the information-processing abilities of molecules have been explored.

Molecular Logic-based Computation looks at the way molecules can be used in computation by performing a logical operation based on one or more physical or chemical inputs and a single output.

This well-organised book starts by introducing the history and basic concepts of the subject followed by examples of different systems from single input–single output logic gates to more complex ones, as well as applications in sensing and medical diagnostics.

This book provides an authoritative guide for scientists, academics and postgraduate students.

Stands to reason you’ll want to read more – access the content now.

Find out more about our other titles in the Monographs in Supramolecular Chemistry Book Series.

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Eiichi Fukada reviews Biological Interactions with Surface Charge in Biomaterials

Books Review: Biological Interactions with Surface Charge in Biomaterials

Edited by Syed A. M. Tofail

RSC Publishing | 2012 | 276pp | £121.99 (HB) | ISBN 9781849731850

Reviewed by Eiichi Fukada, Kobayasi Institute of Physical Research, Tokyo, Japan and Emeritus Scientist, RIKEN, Wako, Japan

The book originates from the activity of a BioElectricSurface consortium, funded by the European Commission under the FP-7 Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials and New Production Technologies (NMP) program and discusses the crucial role surface charge plays in the interaction between materials in biological and medical applications. The first part of the book covers new findings in biology, e.g. bone growth by charged hydroxyapatite and photocatalytic effect in doped titania and includes useful explanations of the many modern techniques used to create and measure electric charges at surfaces and intersurfaces.

The first part of the book contains some very useful information, such as discussion of the polarization of hydroxyapatite, which increased bone growth on the negative surface while no growth was observed on the positive surface, and commentary on the increased photocatalytic activity of doped titania . This section also concisely, but thoroughly, analyses thermally stimulated depolarization current methods,  the laser intensity modulation method of charge measurements, scanning probe, Kelvin probe force and electrostatic force microscopy, and the streaming potential measurement techniques used for wet cases. The techniques utilized for interfacial measurements, such as confocal laser scanning microscopy, are also covered in chapter 4.

Part 2 describes many practical examples in which the surface interactions play an essential role. For example, chapter 5 discusses immobilized enzymes on porous surfaces in biocatalysts, drug delivery, and biosensors, while chapter 6 goes on to describe improvement of the extracellular matrix (ECM) by the interactions of host tissue cells with the implant surface  Chapters 7, 8 and 9  discuss antibody immobilization on solid surfaces, adhesion, proliferation and differentiation of bone-forming cells with electrostatic charge at biomaterials surfaces and interactions of biofilm-forming bacteria with abiotic surfaces. Endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells on the biomaterials surfaces, interactions of bacteria and fungi on biofilms in hospital acquired infections and immunological response of electrostatic charge at the surface of biomaterials are covered in chapters 10, 11 and 12. Such elaborate discussions show the relevance of surface charge in biological interactions at and with non-biological surfaces and, I strongly believe, will provide a solid foundation for interested readers who are willing to bring innovative ideas of surface modifications to generate or control a specific biological response on implantable therapeutic devices.

Part 3 of the book is a logical progression from parts 1 and 2, and describes some of the important applications where surface charge is believed to play a significant role. These include: Community and hospital acquired infections of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), MRSA-resistant textiles, inhibition of encrustation in urological devices and the reduction of restenosis in cardiovascular stents.

The book finishes with a general overview of a new class of materials, named as vector materials, where the interfaces between biomaterial and biological environment can be manipulated by the application of vectorial effects induced by electrical polarization.

Surface charges are frequently experienced by the frictional electricity in textiles. The infection of bacteria and the restenosis of implanted stenosis are broadly concerned matters in the society. As a basic research, it is noteworthy that negatively charged hydroxyapatite induces new bone. The book shows that the study of electric charge in surfaces is important to understand the basic mechanism of all these matters. The many topics introduced in this book promises more rapid progress in future research.

The abbreviation of technical words sometime hinders the understanding of sentences, but the subject index at the end of the book helps greatly to solve this difficulty. The arrangement of chapters is also well ordered. The Editor’s kind efforts are appreciated.

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Hydrogels – More Than Just Contact Lens

Hydrogels can be found in everyday items such as contact lenses, shoe sole cushions, vitamin capsules and wound dressings. Their varied use means that this is still an intense area of research and a concise summary of polymeric and self assembled hydrogels is needed to assist researchers and progress the field.

The new book, Polymeric and Self Assembled Hydrogels, provides an essential overview of hydrogel research from basic fundamental research to applied and platform technologies, and commercially viable applications.

Experts in the field discuss the cutting-edge developments in the field of hydrogels including supramolecular approaches to the formation of hydrogels, ‘slide-ring’’ hydrogels based on cyclodextrin inclusion complexes, peptide hydrogels, thermogelling polymers and applications in chemo-sensing and biomedical fields.

Read the latest on hydrogel research – read the book today.

Find out more about our other titles in the Monographs in Supramolecular Chemistry Book Series.

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Bored of buying the same thing every year for Christmas?

Rather than buying socks this Christmas why not buy a copy of the Case of the Poisonous Socks instead? Or swap chocolates for a copy of Chocolate as Medicine? And for Winter Wonderland fun we’ve got a range of period table products including jigsaws, posters and visual elements trumps.

Visit our online shop for festive inspiration.

Live near Cambridge, UK? Visit our Books Winter Wonderland on Tuesday 4th December, 1 – 3 pm, Thomas Graham House, Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge, CB4 0WF.

This is your chance to fill your Christmas stockings and find out more about book publishing with a festive twist. Learn about the lifecycle of a book, how to publish a book and even pitch your ideas to one of our Commissioning Editors!

Join us for Christmas gift inspiration, festive treats and fun as well as games, competitions and prizes – contact us to book your place!

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Smarten up your Materials Knowledge

To celebrate the launch of the new RSC Smart Materials Series we’ve selected another of our books which gives rise to interesting materials applications.

The need for new functional materials has led to an increased interest in metal phosphonates, as they can produce a number of open-framework structures with many potential uses including catalysis, biotechnology and energy applications.

Edited by Abraham Clearfield, Texas A&M University, USA and Konstantinos Demadis, University of Crete, Greece, Metal Phosphonate Chemistry provides a concise summary of the latest developments of the synthesis, structure, properties and applications of the resulting hybrid materials.

With contributions from experts around the world, the book looks at the early history and growth of metal phosphonate chemistry and includes chapters on zirconium phosphonates, metal carboxyphosphonates, magnetic properties of cobalt phosphonates, metal phosphonate MOFs and luminescent metal phosphonate materials.

Find out more about metal phosphonate chemistry – access the content.

Want to know more about other intelligent materials? Read more in RSC Smart Materials.

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Double the Chemistry with Janus Particles

Like Janus, the two-faced Roman God peering into the past and the future, Janus particles have two sides with opposing physical properties such as hydrophobic versus hydrophilic.

Materials with different surfaces and chemistries are appealing for a number of applications, including drug delivery, but there isn’t one source covering Janus particles. Edited by pioneering experts in the field, Shan Jiang (MIT) and Steve Granick (Illinois), Janus Particle Synthesis, Self-Assembly and Applications is the first book to address the synthesis and uses of Janus particles and patchy colloids.         

See both sides of Janus particles – get the book today.

Interested in other smart materials? Read more about the new RSC Smart Materials Series.

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