Chemical Communications Blog

A Promising Cathode Material for Magnesium-ion Batteries Has Been Identified

18 Jul 2017

Research associated with batteries is gaining increasing attention and extensive efforts in recently decades, partly due to the development of sustainable energy to combat a series of problems including fossil fuel depletion, environmental pollution and global warming. Batteries are indispensable energy storage devices for the utilization of sustainable energy (e.g., solar and wind energy). One of the battery’s cutting-edge research topics is to achieve novel batteries with higher capacity (a figure-of-merit to measure how much electrical energy a battery can store) and better reliability than the lithium-ion batteries that currently dominate the battery market.

In the past decade, batteries based on magnesium ions, termed as magnesium-ion batteries, are emerging. The magnesium-ion batteries possess at least two advantages over lithium-ion batteries. Firstly, their typical anode material, magnesium metal, has a theoretical capacity of 3833 mAh/cm³. This value is much higher than that of graphite, a conventional anode material for lithium-ion batteries. Secondly, the formation of metal dendrite on anode surface can be avoided by replacing lithium metal with magnesium metal. Metal dendrites grow from anodes can eventually touch cathodes, causing electric short circuits and triggering fire and explosion. Therefore, magnesium-ion batteries are safer than lithium-ion batteries. However, nothing can be perfect. The limited mobility of Mg²⁺ of cathode materials greatly reduces the capacity (particularly at fast charging rates) and practicability of the magnesium-ion batteries.

Now Rong et al. has published an article in Chemical Communications stating that a promising cathode material capable of fast conducting Mg²⁺ for magnesium-ion batteries has been identified. The material is a molybdenum phosphate compound with a chemical formula of Mo₃(PO₄)₃O. It is composed of several edge-sharing MoO₆ octahedra, corner-sharing MoO₅ trigonal bipyramids, MoO₄ tetrahedra, and PO₄ tetrahedra. Using advanced simulation and computation techniques (i.e., the first-principles density functional theory), the authors first proved that Mg²⁺ can stably reside in some interstitial sites among the aforementioned polyhedra, indicating the identified compound is active for Mg²⁺ storage. In addition, the authors plotted two possible pathways for Mg²⁺ diffusion during charge and discharge processes (shown in the Figure). As illustrated in Figure a1, the first one is an inner-channel path along the b-axis. The second one is an inter-channel path along the c-axis.

The most striking feature of the path #1 is its ultra-low activation barrier (i.e., the highest potential energy that a Mg²⁺ need to overcome when diffusing) of only ~80 meV (Figure a2). Such a low diffusion barrier is expected to allow facile Mg²⁺ diffusion within the bulk of Mo₃(PO₄)₃O, which can boost the capacity of the magnesium-ion batteries particularly at elevated charging rates. On the contrary, the activation barrier of the path #2 is as high as ~1200 meV. The authors claimed that the Mg²⁺ diffusion along the path #2 “should be ~10¹⁸ times less frequent than” the path #1.

Figure (a1) schematic of the Mg2+ diffusion path #1 and (a2) its corresponding diffusion potential barrier distribution along the way. (b1) Schematic of the Mg2+ diffusion path #2 and (a2) its corresponding diffusion potential barrier distribution along the way.

At last, the authors estimated the theoretical average potential that Mo₃(PO₄)₃O can reach is 1.98 V, corresponding to a promising energy density of 173 Wh/kg. Although the proposed phosphate is hypothetical, the investigation of its stability reveals the possibility that this material can be experimentally synthesized.

To find out more please read:

Fast Mg²⁺ Diffusion in Mo₃(PO₄)₃O for Mg Batteries
Ziqin Rong, Penghao Xiao, Miao Liu, Wenxuan Huang, Daniel C. Hannah, William Scullin, Kristin A. Persson and Gerbrand Ceder
DOI: 10.1039/c7cc02903a

About the author:

Tianyu Liu is a Ph.D. in chemistry graduated from University of California-Santa Cruz. He is passionate about scientific communication to introduce cutting-edge researches to both the general public and the scientists with diverse research expertise. He is a web writer for the Chem. Commun. and Chem. Sci. blog websites. More information about him can be found at http://liutianyuresearch.weebly.com/.

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A “Cube-in-tube” Carbon-Metal Oxide Lithium-ion Battery Composite Electrode with Outstanding Capacity and Durability

12 Jul 2017

By Tianyu Liu.

Lithium-ion batteries are indispensable for powering a number of electronics (e.g. cell phones, laptops and even electric vehicles) used in the modern society. The key components of a lithium-ion battery are its two electrodes (anode and cathode) because they largely dictate the amount of electrical energy (measured by a parameter called “capacity”) the battery can hold. Increasing the capacity as well as prolonging the lifetime of lithium-ion batteries are practically desirable. Material scientists worldwide are searching for electrode materials to achieve the goal.

In the past decade, a diverse array of metal oxides has been developed as lithium-ion battery anodes with promising performance. These anodes have exhibited considerably higher capacity (~1000 mAh/g) than the current commercial anode material, graphite (372 mAh/g). However, two major drawbacks of metal oxides, namely the limited electrical conductivity and the short lifetime, impede their feasibility for practical applications. While the poor electrical conductivity is an intrinsic physical property of most metal oxides, their short life time is caused by the large volumetric deformation during charge and discharge processes. The deformation will eventually trigger pulverization of electrodes and lead to loss of capacity. Therefore, developing novel strategies that manage to turn metal oxides to viable electrode candidates with satisfying lifetime becomes necessary.

Now writing in Chemical Communications, a research group led by Professor Liqiang Mai and Professor Qi Li from Wuhan University of Technology, China demonstrated a metal oxide-carbon composite anode that exhibited both high capacity and super-long lifetime. The structure of this composite is a “cube-in-tube” configuration (Figure 1): the manganese oxide nanoparticle-embedded carbon “tubes” encapsulate the CoSnO₃ (a binary metal oxide) “cubes”. This unique composite electrode delivered a maximal capacity of 960 mAh/g at a current density of 0.1 A/g (Figure 2a), around three times higher than the theoretical capacity of graphite. More impressively, as shown in Figure 2b, the electrode displayed outstanding stability with ~99% of capacity retained after 1500 consecutive charge and discharge cycles (roughly equivalent to four years’ use), much higher than those of the current commercial products and other laboratory-developed composites.

Figure 1. Schematic of the synthesis strategy and the morphology of the “cube-in-tube” metal oxide-carbon composite lithium-ion battery electrode.

Figure 2. (a) Plot of capacity at different current densities; (b) The stability performance evaluated at 2 A/g.

The authors attributed the electrode’s excellent durability to two reasons. Firstly, the hollow structures (both the “tube” and the “cube”) provide adequate empty space to accommodate volumetric change of metal oxides. Secondly, the soft nature of carbon renders its ability to serve as a mechanical buffer layer. Both aspects reduce the possibility of structural pulverization and promote long lifetime.

To find out more please read:

Facile Electrospinning Formation of Carbon-confined Metal Oxide Cube-in-tube Nanostructures for Stable Lithium Storage

Ziang Liu, Ruiting Guo, Jiashen Meng, Xiong Liu, Xuanpeng Wang, Qi Li, Liqiang Mai

DOI: 10.1039/C7CC0327A

About the author:

Tianyu Liu is a Ph.D. in chemistry graduated from University of California-Santa Cruz, United States. He is passionate about scientific communication to introduce cutting-edge researches to both the general public and the scientists with diverse research expertise. He is a web writer for the Chem. Commun. and Chem. Sci. blog websites. More information about him can be found at http://liutianyuresearch.weebly.com/.

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HOT ChemComm articles for June

05 Jul 2017

By Rebecca Withers.

All of the referee-recommended articles below are free to access until 5th August 2017.

Chemically individual armoured bioreporter bacteria used for the in vivo sensing of ultra-trace toxic metal ions
Zhijun Zhang, Enguo Ju, Wei Bing, Zhenzhen Wang, Jinsong Rena and Xiaogang Qu
Chem. Commun., 2017, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC03794E, Communication

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Expeditious synthesis of pyrano[2,3,4-de]quinolines via Rh(III)-catalyzed cascade C–H activation/annulation/lactonization of quinolin-4-ol with alkynes
Gang Liao, Hong Song, Xue-Song Yinab and Bing-Feng Shi
Chem. Commun., 2017, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC04113F, Communication

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Autonomously propelled microscavengers for precious metal recovery
Sarvesh Kumar Srivastava, Mariana Medina-Sáncheza and Oliver G. Schmidta
Chem. Commun., 2017, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC02605F, Communication

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Aromatic stacking – a key step in nucleation
Aurora J. Cruz-Cabeza, Roger J. Davey, Sharlinda Salim Sachithananthan, Rebecca Smith, Sin Kim Tang, Thomas Vetter and Yan Xiao
Chem. Commun., 2017, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC02423A, Communication

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Hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets as a multifunctional background-free matrix to detect small molecules and complicated samples by MALDI mass spectrometry
Jianing Wang, Jie Sun, Jiyun Wang, Huihui Liu, Jinjuan Xue and Zongxiu Nie
Chem. Commun., 2017, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC02957H, Communication

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Faradaic oxygen evolution from SrTiO3 under nano- and femto-second pulsed light excitation
D. J. Aschaffenburg, X. Chen and T. Cuk
Chem. Commun., 2017,53, 7254-7257
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC03061D, Communication

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Bismuth drug structure solved

05 Jul 2017

By Rebecca Withers.

Crystal structure of bismuth subgallate viewed along (a) [010] and (b) [100]. Bismuth, carbon and oxygen atoms are coloured purple, grey and red, respectively. Hydrogen atoms and water molecules in the pores have been omitted for clarity.

Bismuth subgallate – a widely used pharmaceutical for treating stomach ulcers – is a porous coordination polymer, new research shows. The discovery, made by scientists in Sweden and the UK, settles a long running question over the drug’s structure, which had been frustrated by bismuth subgallate’s tiny crystals and their tendency to break down when exposed to high energy electron beams.

Now, Andrew Kentaro Inge from Stockholm University and his team have overcome these issues. By combining continuous rotational data collection with a cooling technique, they avoided the electron beam damage, poor resolution and diffuse scattering holding them and others back. ‘Continuous rotation electron diffraction is a promising way to elucidate the structures of hard to obtain, or very hard to crystallise, pharmaceutical forms. For this purpose, it’s an up-and-coming method,’ says Tomislav Friŝĉić, an expert in materials chemistry at McGill University in Canada.

Read the full story by Tabitha Watson on Chemistry World.

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Exploration of MXenes as Potassium-ion Battery Electrodes

28 Jun 2017

By Rebecca Withers.

Written by Tianyu Liu, University of California, Santa Cruz

Batteries are indispensable components that are powering a diverse array of electronics used almost every day. In recent years, due to the mass production of rechargeable electronics such as cell phones and electric vehicles, the need for reliable and economically viable batteries is rapidly increasing. Lithium-ion batteries represent a dominated rechargeable battery category that has been commercialized since early 1990s. However, the uneven distribution and high cost of lithium pose concerns on the sustainability of lithium-ion batteries.

Since the last decade, a number of scientists have shifted their attention to metal-ion batteries with more abundant and inexpensive metals than lithium, such as sodium and potassium. Change of ions calls for the need of seeking electrode materials with suitable structures that are able to host sodium or potassium ions. Most recently, Naguib and coworkers from Oak Ridge National Laboratory in USA and Purdue University in USA have identified a new two-dimensional material belonging to the MXene family that exhibits promising performance as an electrode for potassium-ion batteries. Their works has been published in Chem. Commun.

MXenes are a group of two-dimensional transition metal carbides and carbonitrides (Figure a) with chemical formula Mn+1XnTz; where M, X and Tz stand for an early transition metal element (e.g., Ti, V, Cr), carbon and/or nitrogen, and termination element (usually O, OH or F), respectively. Based on previous theoretical studies, MXenes are predicted to be capable of hosting potassium ions. In this work, Naguib et al. first synthesized one of the MXenes, Ti3CNOF, and experimentally investigated its energy storage performance.

The researchers first synthesized the Ti3CNOF powder by a wet etching process of its precursor. The obtained powder was then blended with other additives (including carbon black powder and polymer binders) and cast onto a piece of copper foil to prepare the electrode. The Ti3CNOF electrode delivered a high capacity (a measure for amount of energy that can be stored) of 710 mAh/g in the first discharging process and retained 75 mAh/g after 100 charge and discharge cycles (Figure b). In addition, the researchers gauged the charge storage mechanism of the synthesized Ti3CNOF using X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The key conclusion is that potassium ions are able to intercalate in between layers of Ti3CNOF without triggering any phase change (Figure c). This mechanism is similar with lithium-ion intercalation into graphite.

Though the capacity performance reported here is not as outstanding as other graphene-based electrodes, this work provides the encouraging potential of MXenes serving as potassium-ion battery electrodes. Exploring other MXenes and modifying Ti3CNOF demonstrated here are expected to further enhance the charge storage performance of MXene-based potassium-ion batteries.

To find out more please read:
Electrochemical Performance of MXenes as K-ion Battery Anodes
Michael Naguib, Ryan A. Adams, Yunpu Zhao, Dmitry Zemlyanov, Arvind Varma, Jagjit Nanda, Vilas G. Pol.
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC02026K

About the author:
Tianyu Liu is a Ph.D. in chemistry from University of California-Santa Cruz. He is passionate about scientific communication to introduce cutting-edge researches to both the general public and the scientists with diverse research expertise. He is a web writer for the Chem. Commun. and Chem. Sci. blog websites. More information about him can be found at http://liutianyuresearch.weebly.com/.

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Bioinspired catalysis for eco-friendly chemical transformations in water

19 Jun 2017

By Victoria Corless.

One challenge that today’s chemists face is making large-scale processes more economical and environmentally friendly. Within this area, there has been a surge of interest in the development of bioinspired catalytic systems which, relative to traditional catalysis, have the potential to reduce chemical waste by 85% by performing efficient reactions in pure water.

Prof. Normand Voyer and coworkers from Laval University have recently published an eco-friendly methodology for the preparation of chiral a,b-epoxyketones in pure water using the supramolecular catalyst, homo-oligopeptide poly-L-leucine (PLL).

Achieving enantioselectivity in organic reactions carried out in water poses challenges but peptide derived catalysts have shown great promise in this regard. The best example of this is the Juliá-Colonna epoxidation which has been studied and improved since its discovery in the early 1980’s. While significant progress in this area has been made, most transformations using natural homo-oligopeptides have required the use of an organic co-solvent to improve reaction efficiency.

Professor Voyer shows the new, eco-friendly process begins with several homo-oligopeptides being synthesised from their corresponding amino acid N-carboxyanhydrides and used to catalyse the Juliá-Colonna epoxidation of an electron deficient olefin in water. Of all the catalysts, PLL provided the highest conversion and enantioselectivity (Table) however, the generality of the reaction appeared to be dependent on the sterics and electronics of the substrates.

Computational analysis was used to model the PLL supramolecular catalyst and rationalise the observed reaction trends. PLL adopts a helical conformation with hydrophobic grooves distributed along the helical axis. When modelled with substrate 1 (Table), it was observed that the chalcone moiety fits perfectly within the PLL groove and forms a stable complex. It is this complexation that also aids in solubility of the ketone, removing the need for an organic co-solvent.

Epoxidation is proposed to take place through a “groove sliding” mechanism, where the substrate slides into the hydrophobic pocket generated by the leucine side chains until it reaches the N-terminal of PLL where a hydroperoxide anion is waiting (Figure). This mechanistic proposal lends to the enantioselectivity of the reaction and explains the observed electronic and steric constraints.

While the scope of PLL remains limited, this study underscores the fact that conformation and the hydrophobic nature of the oligopeptide catalysts are critical for carrying out environmentally benign organic reactions and has set a precedent for the development of future biomimetic supramolecular catalysts.

To find out more see:

Revisiting the Juliá–Colonna enantioselective epoxidation: supramolecular catalysis in water
Christopher Bérubé, Xavier Barbeau, Patrick Lagüe and Normand Voyer
DOI:10.1039/C7CC01168G

Victoria Corless is currently completing her Ph.D. in organic chemistry with Prof. Andrei Yudin at The University of Toronto. Her research is centred on the synthesis of kinetically amphoteric molecules which offer a versatile platform for the development of chemoselective transformations with particular emphasis on creating novel biologically active molecules.

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Elucidating the Molecular Behavior on the pH Responsiveness of Chitosan

14 Jun 2017

By Rebecca Withers.

Written by Tianyu Liu, University of California, Santa Cruz

Chitosan is a polysaccharide derived from chitin, a second most abundant bio-polymer on earth that consists of the shells of crustaceans (such as shrimps and crabs). It is a commonly used bio-compatible material for bio-medical applications such as drug delivery.

Previous studies have shown that chitosan is pH sensitive in water: it forms a viscous solution at low pH values and becomes insoluble at high pH values. Preliminary investigations suggest that such pH responsiveness is associated with the protonation and de-protonation processes of the amine groups on the chitosan polymer chain (the red box in Figure a). However, there still lacks fundamental understanding on how the pH affects the behavior of chitosan.

Now writing in Chem. Commun., Xu and Matysiak from University of Maryland, USA provided us new insights on the chitosan’s pH responsiveness at the molecular level. They adopted a method called “coarse-grained molecular simulation” to illustrate the self-assembly behaviors of chitosan polymer chains at different pH values. Unlike atomistic molecular simulations that focus on individual atoms of a molecule, the coarse-grained molecular simulation treats a group of atoms as one ensemble and probes the collective behavior of each ensemble (Figure a and b). This simulation technique demands less time than the atomistic counterparts without significantly reducing the simulation accuracy. It is suitable for characterizing polymers composed of thousands of atoms, such as chitosan.

The key discovery of this work is that the chitosan polymer chains can adopt different configurations at different pH values. At high pH values, each chain tends to crosslink perpendicularly with adjacent chains. The crosslinking reaction propagates and eventually builds up a three-dimensional dense chain network (Figure c). At low pH values, the protonated amine groups favor parallel crosslinking. Thus, each chain aligns in parallel with each other, which leads to a loosely-packed structure (Figure d). The perpendicularly cross-linked configuration reduces the solubility of chitosan in water but renders robustness and elasticity of the chitosan networks. The parallel cross-linked morphology increases water solubility but decreases the elasticity of the chitosan assembly. These conclusions obtained by the simulation are consistent with experimental results.

To find out more please read:
Effect of pH on Chitosan Hydrogel Polymer Network Structure
Hongcheng Xu and Silvina Matysiak
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC01826F

About the author:
Tianyu Liu is a Ph.D. in chemistry from University of California-Santa Cruz. He is passionate about scientific communication to introduce cutting-edge researches to both the general public and the scientists with diverse research expertise. He is a web writer for the Chem. Commun. and Chem. Sci. blog websites. More information about him can be found at http://liutianyuresearch.weebly.com/

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Elizabeth New: Winner of the 2017 ChemComm Emerging Investigator Lectureship

09 Jun 2017

By Jeanne Therese Andres.

On behalf of the ChemComm Editorial Board, we are delighted to announce Elizabeth New from the University of Sydney, Australia, as the winner of the 2017 ChemComm Emerging Investigator Lectureship – congratulations, Liz!

Elizabeth New

Liz finished her BSc (Advanced, Hons 1 and Medal) and MSc in Chemistry at the University of Sydney before embarking on a PhD programme at Durham University, UK, working with Professor David Parker. After being awarded her PhD in Chemistry in January, 2010, she was a Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California at Berkeley within the group of Professor Christopher Chang. She then returned to the University of Sydney as an ARC DECRA Fellow to start her independent research career in 2012, establishing herself at the cutting-edge of molecular imaging and developing novel chemical imaging tools to supplement existing imaging platforms.

She developed the first set of reversible sensors for cellular redox environment containing flavins as the sensing group, including the first examples of ratiometric reversible cytoplasmic sensing, reversible mitochondrial sensing, and ratiometric mitochondrial sensing. She has also developed the first fluorescent sensor for a platinum metabolite, enabling the unprecedented visualisation of cisplatin metabolism, and a subsequent sensor to study the metabolism of transplatin analogues. Her research group is one of the very few in the world to be investigating cobalt complexes as responsive magnetic resonance contrast agents, and she has developed new methods for ratiometric fluorescent sensing, as well as new strategies to control subcellular targeting. Her research excellence has been recognised by a number of awards, among them the NSW Early Career Researcher of the Year (2016) and the Asian Biological Inorganic Chemistry Early Career Researcher Award (2014).

Passionate about communicating science, she has spoken about her research to high school students (as the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) Nyholm Youth Lecturer, 2014-5, and the RACI Tasmanian Youth Lecturer, 2017), to the general public (as a NSW Young Tall Poppy Awardee, 2015), and to politicians and policy-makers (as elected executive member of the Australian Academy of Science’s Early-Mid Career Researcher Forum). She is currently a Senior Lecturer and Westpac Research Fellow in the School of Chemistry at the University of Sydney, where her group continues to focus on the development of molecular probes for the study of biological systems.

As part of the Lectureship, Elizabeth will present a lecture at three locations over the coming year, with at least one of these events taking place at an international conference, where she will be formally presented with her Emerging Investigator Lectureship certificate. Details of her lectures will be announced in due course – keep an eye on the blog for details.

Read these articles by Elizabeth New:

A cobalt(II) complex with unique paraSHIFT responses to anion
E. S. O’Neill, J. L. Kolanowski, P. D. Bonnitcha and E. J. New
Chem. Commun., 2017, 53, 3571-3574
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC00619E, Communication

On the outside looking in: redefining the role of analytical chemistry in the biosciences
Dominic J. Hare and Elizabeth J. New
Chem. Commun., 2016, 52, 8918-8934
DOI: 10.1039/C6CC00128A, Feature Article
From themed collection 2016 Emerging Investigators

Fluorescent sensing of monofunctional platinum species
Clara Shen, Benjamin D. W. Harris, Lucy J. Dawson, Kellie A. Charles, Trevor W. Hambley and Elizabeth J. New
Chem. Commun., 2015, 51, 6312-6314
DOI: 10.1039/C4CC08077G, Communication, Open Access

Imaging metals in biology: balancing sensitivity, selectivity and spatial resolution
Dominic J. Hare, Elizabeth J. New, Martin D. de Jonge and Gawain McColl
Chem. Soc. Rev., 2015, 44, 5941-5958
DOI: 10.1039/C5CS00055F, Tutorial Review, Open Access

A FRET-based ratiometric redox probe for detecting oxidative stress by confocal microscopy, FLIM and flow cytometry
Amandeep Kaur, Mohammad A. Haghighatbin, Conor F. Hogan and Elizabeth J. New
Chem. Commun., 2015, 51, 10510-10513
DOI: 10.1039/C5CC03394B, Communication

The annual ChemComm Emerging Investigator Lectureship recognises emerging scientists in the early stages of their independent academic career. Nominations for the 2018 Emerging Investigator Lectureship will open later in the year – keep an eye on the blog for details, and read more about our previous winners.

2016: Ang Li from the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, China

2015: Deanne D’Alessandro from the University of Sydney, Australia

Yong Sheng Zhao from the Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, China

2014: Xinliang Feng from the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Germany

2014: Tomislav Friščić from McGill University, Canada

2014: Simon M. Humphrey from the University of Texas at Austin, USA

2013: Louise A. Berben from the University of California at Davis, USA

2013: Marina Kuimova from Imperial College London, UK

2012: Hiromitsu Maeda from Ritsumeikan University, Japan

2011: Scott Dalgarno from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK

Also of interest: You can read the 2016 ChemComm Emerging Investigators Issue which highlights research from outstanding up-and-coming scientists and watch out for our 2017 Emerging Investigators issue – coming very soon. You can also take a look at our previous Emerging Investigator issues in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.

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Congratulations to the 2017 Cram Lehn Pedersen Prize winner: Tom de Greef

08 Jun 2017

By Laurent Mathey, Development Editor.

Tom will speak at the 2017 International Conference on Molecular Systems Engineering (ICMSE) in Basel, as well as at the 2017 International Symposium on Macrocyclic and Supramolecular Chemistry (ISMSC) being held in Cambridge in conjuction with ISACS: Challenges in Organic Materials & Supramolecular Chemistry

ChemComm is pleased to announce Dr.ir. Tom de Greef, of the Biomedical Engineering department of Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, as the recipient of this year’s Cram Lehn Pedersen award in Supramolecular Chemistry, a prestigious prize awarded annually by the ISMSC International Committee to young researchers. Our warm congratulations to Tom!

Dr.ir. Tom de Greef

The prize, sponsored by ChemComm and named in honour of the winners of the 1987 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, recognises significant, original and independent work in supramolecular chemistry by emerging investigators. Scientists who gained their PhD less than ten years previous are eligible for the prize.

Tom is an associate professor at the Eindhoven University of Technology and FMS member, and will receive the award during the 2017 International Symposium on Macrocyclic and Supramolecular Chemistry (ISMSC) which will take place in Cambridge (U.K.).

We are also delighted to announce that the 2017 International Symposium on Macrocyclic and Supramolecular Chemistry (ISMSC) will be held in conjuction with ISACS: Challenges in Organic Materials & Supramolecular Chemistry.

Our plenary speakers will be:

François Diederich (ETH Zurich, Switzerland)
David Leigh (The University of Manchester, UK)
Jeffrey Long (University of California, Berkeley, USA)
Vivian Yam (University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong)
Xi Zhang (Tsinghua University, China)

Full details of all the confirmed speakers may be found on the event website.

We hope you can join us in Cambridge, UK – save the dates 2–6 July 2017!

Tom will also be speaking at the first biannual International Conference on Molecular Systems Engineering (ICMSE) in Basel 27 to 29 August 2017, in Basel, Switzerland.

ICMSE is a unique event in the emerging field of molecular systems engineering, and has the potential of leading to a long-term paradigm shift in molecular sciences. The three-day conference will be held at the University of Basel (Kollegienhaus, Petersplatz 1).

Download the conference flyer (pdf) for more details and book your place now!

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Siliconrhodamine Probes Enable Bio-imaging with Super-resolution

08 Jun 2017

By Rebecca Withers.

Written by Tianyu Liu, University of California, Santa Cruz

Intracellular imaging is used to reveal fine details of live organisms. It is an indispensable component for the exploration of biomolecular processes in living cells. Super-resolution microscopy (SRM) is an emerging intracellular imaging technique which can acquire images of much higher resolution than those collected by conventional optical microscopy. Currently, the greatest challenge facing SRM is to develop imaging probes that are suitable for site-specific tagging of intracellular biomolecules. Such probes must be biocompatible, membrane-permeable, intensively fluorescent and photo-stable.

Writing in ChemComm., Dr. Peter Kele and coworkers at Research Center for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences have developed a group of siliconrhodamine probes that permit the labelling of intracellular proteins with excellent selectivity as well as fast response time (within 10 min).

The synthesized siliconrhodamine probes consist of a siliconrhodamine backbone anchored with a carboxyl group. The carboxyl group is responsible for the polarity-responsive property of the probes. When bound to polar protein surfaces, the probes exist in a fluorescent form. While upon non-specific binding to hydrophobic surfaces, the probes change their configurations and consequently, the fluorescence is lost. This conversion process is based on an intra-molecular Diels-Alder reaction (Figure below) that can be readily initiated by a polarity change without interrupting native biochemical processes in cells. Such a mechanism provides the probe biocompatibility and fast response characteristics.

The probe has been demonstrated for site-specific super-resolution imaging for live cells. The figure below depicts the experimental results collected using a mammalian cell. The cyan colored image (left) presents the actual cell image (as the reference). The middle magenta colored image was obtained by using one of the synthesized imaging probes. The overlay image (right) exhibits near-perfect co-localization of the reference and labelling images, indicating the probe’s excellent selectivity. Moreover, the labelling process is efficient with the probe concentration as low as 1.5 μM, and the duration as short as 10 min.

These stable, efficient, and biocompatible probes could profoundly advance super-resolution imaging of various intracellular structures.

To find out more please read:

Bioorthogonal Double-Fluorogenic Siliconrhodamine Probes for Intracellular Super-resolution Microscopy
Eszter Kozma, Gemma Estrada Girona, Giulia Paci, Edward A Lemke and Peter Kele
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC02212C

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Chemical Communications Blog

A Promising Cathode Material for Magnesium-ion Batteries Has Been Identified

A “Cube-in-tube” Carbon-Metal Oxide Lithium-ion Battery Composite Electrode with Outstanding Capacity and Durability

HOT ChemComm articles for June

Bismuth drug structure solved

Exploration of MXenes as Potassium-ion Battery Electrodes

Bioinspired catalysis for eco-friendly chemical transformations in water

Elucidating the Molecular Behavior on the pH Responsiveness of Chitosan

Elizabeth New: Winner of the 2017 ChemComm Emerging Investigator Lectureship

Congratulations to the 2017 Cram Lehn Pedersen Prize winner: Tom de Greef

Siliconrhodamine Probes Enable Bio-imaging with Super-resolution

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