Chemical Communications Blog

Self-assembled dextran sulphate nanoparticles for targeting rheumatoid arthritis
Seol-Hee Kim, Jong-Ho Kim, Dong Gil You, Gurusamy Saravanakumar, Hong Yeol Yoon, Ki Young Choi, Thavasyappan Thambi, V. G. Deepagan, Dong-Gyu Jo and Jae Hyung Park
Chem. Commun., 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C3CC44260H, Communication

Free to access until 30th September 2013

Lewis base assisted B–H bond redistribution in borazine and polyborazylene
Benjamin L. Davis, Brian D. Rekken, Ryszard Michalczyk, Edward B. Garner, III, David A. Dixon, Hassan Kalviri, R. Tom Baker and David L. Thorn
Chem. Commun., 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C3CC44748K, Communication

Free to access until 30th September 2013

A suspension-cell biosensor for real-time determination of binding kinetics of protein–carbohydrate interactions on cancer cell surfaces
Xueming Li, Yuxin Pei, Ruina Zhang, Qi Shuai, Feng Wang, Teodor Aastrup and Zhichao Pei
Chem. Commun., 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C3CC45006F, Communication

Free to access until 30th September 2013

Why PEO as a binder or polymer coating increases capacity in the Li–S system
Matthew J. Lacey, Fabian Jeschull, Kristina Edström and Daniel Brandell
Chem. Commun., 2013,49, 8531-8533
DOI: 10.1039/C3CC44772C, Communication

Free to access until 30th September 2013

Depolymerization of crystalline cellulose catalyzed by acidic ionic liquids grafted onto sponge-like nanoporous polymers
Fujian Liu, Ranjan K. Kamat, Iman Noshadi, Daniel Peck, Richard S. Parnas, Anmin Zheng, Chenze Qi and Yao Lin
Chem. Commun., 2013,49, 8456-8458
DOI: 10.1039/C3CC44703K, Communication

Free to access until 30th September 2013

Nonvolatile functional molecular liquids
Sukumaran Santhosh Babu and Takashi Nakanishi
Chem. Commun., 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C3CC45192E, Feature Article

Free to access until 30th September 2013

That’s not all– click here for more free HOT Chem Comm articles for August!

Researchers in China have designed a smart supercapacitor that reversibly shuts down when it gets too hot.

The polymer shrinks when it gets too hot, inhibiting charge transfer

Supercapacitors are similar to batteries, but instead of redox reactions, electrical energy generation typically depends on electrical double layers and pseudocapacitors. They have significantly higher power densities, meaning faster charge/discharge cycles and long cycling lifespans. This makes them ideal for use in electric vehicles and other high power output applications.

However, these properties also mean that supercapacitors are prone to a self-propagating uncontrolled temperature increase, an effect known as thermal runaway. This dangerous effect is already widely known in lithium ion batteries, where explosions have caused high profile recalls of laptops from high-end manufacturers.

Min Wei and other researchers at the Beijing University of Chemical Technology may have solved the problem in supercapacitors by using a temperature-responsive electrode.

Read the full article in Chemistry World»

Read the original journal article in ChemComm:
Reversible thermally-responsive electrochemical energy storage based on smart LDH@P(NIPAM-co-SPMA) films
Yibo Dou, Ting Pan, Awu Zhou, Simin Xu, Xiaoxi Liu, Jingbin Han, Min Wei, David G. Evans and Xue Duan  
Chem. Commun., 2013, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C3CC43039A

Researchers in Israel have identified an antioxidant that can lower cholesterol levels as well as eliminating free radicals. This compound could be a promising alternative to statins, the most prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs in the world.

1-Fe

High cholesterol and excess free radicals in the body are major risk factors for developing cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Healthy lifestyle and low cholesterol intake certainly help prevent CVD, but people still often fail to maintain the levels of cholesterol required.

Most cholesterol in the body does not come from food, but is produced internally. Statins reduce cholesterol levels by acting as competitive inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase, an enzyme that catalyses cholesterol biosynthesis. Yet, some people do not respond to statins.

Now, Adi Haber, Zeev Gross and colleagues at Technion – Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa, have proposed a new alternative to statins.

Read the full article in Chemistry World»

Read the original journal article in ChemComm:
Allosteric inhibitors of HMG-CoA reductase, the key enzyme involved in cholesterol biosynthesis
Adi Haber, Amona Abu-Younis Ali, Michael Aviram and Zeev Gross  
Chem. Commun., 2013, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C3CC44740E

A gel that can move backwards and forwards in a tube in response to changes in light intensity has been developed by an international team of chemists. As it can change its direction of travel, the gel could one day be used as a material to allow tiny intelligent robots to approach more favourable environments or flee advere stimuli.                                      

The gel’s ability to move is thanks to the Belousov–Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction. BZ reactions are known for their unusual oscillatory properties caused by the non-equilibrium thermodynamics of the reaction. By including the BZ reaction in specific gels, it is possible to obtain soft materials which can show repeated swelling and shrinking on a scale that can even push objects through a tube.

When one end of a BZ gel is made to oscillate faster than the other…

Gel moving away from the light (left) and gel moving towards the light (right)

Read the full article in Chemistry World

Read the original journal article in ChemComm:
Photophobic and phototropic movement of a self-oscillating gel
Xingjie Lu, Lin Ren, Qingyu Gao, Yuemin Zhao, Shaorong Wang, Jiaping Yang and Irving R. Epstein  
Chem. Commun., 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C3CC44480E, Communication