Chemical Communications Blog

Hundreds of thousands of patients have been fitted with metal-on-metal hip joints

An investigation into why metal-on-metal hip joints fail long before other types of joints, such as metal-on-polyethylene and ceramic-on-ceramic, has revealed how the metal particles shed by the joints grinding against each other damage surrounding cells. The work, carried out by scientists in the UK, Canada, the Netherlands and the US, could lead to ways to predict which patients will have problems with these joints.

One theory why metal-on-metal hip implants fail points to the debris that is generated as the joints wear. It is thought that the debris is not compatible with human tissue, which causes the metal hip joints to fail, but it’s not known why.

Read the full article in Chemistry World

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Chemical Speciation of Nanoparticles Surrounding Metal-on-Metal Hips
A E Goode et al
Chem. Commun., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/c2cc33016d

For carbon nanodots, simply heat soy milk for three hours. The milk undergoes carbonisation, surface functionalisation and doping

Water-soluble, nitrogen-doped fluorescent carbon nanodots (FCNs) have been made by simply heating soy milk. This cheap and green approach produces a carbon nanomaterial suitable for bioimaging applications, and has already shown promise as an electrocatalyst, say scientists in China.

There have already been several successful demonstrations using natural biomass as a precursor for producing nanomaterials. Inspired by these endeavours, Shaojun Dong and colleagues at the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a simpler, time-saving method for preparing bifunctional nanomaterials, in just three hours, using soy beans.

Read the full article in Chemistry World

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Bifunctional fluorescent carbon nanodots: green synthesis via soy milk and as metal-free electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction
C Zhu, J Zhai and S Dong
Chem. Commun., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/c2cc33844k

Capillaries coated on the inside with photocatalytic materials induced a photocatalytic reaction by pulling up a solution under the action of capillary forces

Researchers from Japan have developed a photocatalytic reactor for a water purifier that does not require batteries. Rather than using an external power source to pump water through the reactor, the system uses diffusion and capillary action to achieve an entirely non-electric reactor.

In addition to water purification itself, it is also important to ensure a constant and efficient transfer of contaminated water into the reactor and clean water out. This is normally achieved by an electric or fuel pump, but in areas where the power supply is often disrupted or is scarce, another approach is needed.

Read the full article in Chemistry World

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Novel Photocatalytic Microreactor Bundle that does not Require an Electric Power Source
K Katayama, Y Takeda and S Kuwahara
Chem. Commun., 2012, DOI: 10.1039/c2cc33525e

This month sees the following articles in ChemComm that are in the top ten most accessed:-

Development of a near-infrared fluorescent probe for imaging of endogenous Cu⁺ in live cells
Xiaowei Cao, Weiying Lin and Wei Wan
Chem. Commun., 2012,48, 6247-6249, DOI: 10.1039/C2CC32114A, Communication

Formal asymmetric enone aminohydroxylation: organocatalytic one-pot synthesis of 4,5-disubstituted oxazolidinones
David Cruz Cruz, Pedro A. Sánchez-Murcia and Karl Anker Jørgensen
Chem. Commun., 2012,48, 6112-6114, DOI: 10.1039/C2CC32385K, Communication

Recognition and sensing of various species using boronic acid derivatives
Zhiqian Guo, Injae Shin and Juyoung Yoon
Chem. Commun., 2012,48, 5956-5967, DOI: 10.1039/C2CC31985C, Feature Article

Silver(i)-catalyzed carboxylation of arylboronic esters with CO₂
Xiao Zhang, Wen-Zhen Zhang, Ling-Long Shi, Chun-Xiao Guo, Ling-Ling Zhang and Xiao-Bing Lu
Chem. Commun., 2012,48, 6292-6294, DOI: 10.1039/C2CC32045B, Communication

One-pot synthesis of highly crystalline mesoporous TiO₂ nanoparticle assemblies with enhanced photocatalytic activity
Ioannis Tamiolakis, Ioannis N. Lykakis, Alexandros P. Katsoulidis and Gerasimos S. Armatas
Chem. Commun., 2012,48, 6687-6689, DOI: 10.1039/C2CC33122E, Communication

Supramolecular electron transfer by anion binding
Shunichi Fukuzumi, Kei Ohkubo, Francis DSouza and Jonathan L. Sessler
Chem. Commun., 2012, Accepted Manuscript, DOI: 10.1039/C2CC32848H, Feature Article

A new water-soluble pillar[5]arene: synthesis and application in the preparation of gold nanoparticles
Yong Yao, Min Xue, Xiaodong Chi, Yingjie Ma, Jiuming He, Zeper Abliz and Feihe Huang
Chem. Commun., 2012,48, 6505-6507, DOI: 10.1039/C2CC31962D, Communication

Iridium-catalyzed reaction of enones with alcohols affording 1,3-diketones
Yasushi Obora, Kazuhiro Nakamura and Shintaro Hatanaka
Chem. Commun., 2012,48, 6720-6722, DOI: 10.1039/C2CC32787B, Communication

Covalently stabilized self-assembled chlorophyll nanorods by olefin metathesis
Sanchita Sengupta and Frank Würthner
Chem. Commun., 2012,48, 5730-5732, DOI: 10.1039/C2CC32314A, Communication

Sodium methoxide: a simple but highly efficient catalyst for the direct amidation of esters
Takashi Ohshima, Yukiko Hayashi, Kazushi Agura, Yuka Fujii, Asako Yoshiyama and Kazushi Mashima
Chem. Commun., 2012,48, 5434-5436, DOI: 10.1039/C2CC32153J, Communication

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

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A mesoporous material functionalised with aggregation-induced emission (AIE) luminogens serves as an efficient and recyclable fluorescent sensor to detect picric acid (PA) in water

A reusable fluorescent sensor that detects explosives in groundwater or seawater could aid antiterrorist activities and environmental protection, say scientists in China.

Many techniques have been used to detect explosives, including gas chromatography, Raman spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy. The latter is considered the most useful because of its simplicity, high sensitivity and low cost. With this technique, fluorescent dyes are incorporated into a solid matrix on which they interact with the explosive molecules, causing them to fluoresce.

However, the dyes often aggregate within the matrix, leading to a substantial decrease in fluorescence, known as quenching. This loss of efficiency and sensitivity motivated the discovery of molecules whose fluorescence is turned on by aggregation rather than suppressed. Materials based on such aggregation-induced emission (AIE) luminogens (luminescent compounds) have shown promise in explosive detection in organic solvents. Dispersion in aqueous solution has, until recently, proven difficult.

Read the full article in Chemistry World

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Supersensitive detection of explosives by recyclable AIE luminogen-functionalized mesoporous materials
Dongdong Li, Jianzhao Liu, Ryan T. K. Kwok, Zhiqiang Liang, Ben Zhong Tang and Jihong Yu
Chem. Commun., 2012, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C2CC31890C, Communication