Chemical Communications Blog

2nd Unilever–RSC International Symposium on Functional Materials Science

15 Sep 2011

Register now for attendance at the 2^nd Unilever–RSC International Symposium on Functional Materials Science. The symposium takes place over 3 days at 3 different locations in China. Attendance at any of the meetings is free.

Monday 24 October 2011: Symposium at Tsinghua University, Beijing

Wednesday 26 October: Symposium at Wuhan University, Wuhan

Friday 28 October: Symposium at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai

Presentations will be delivered by the following international speakers:

Prof. Kelly Velonia – University of Crete, Greece

Prof. Raffaele Mezzenga – ETH, Switzerland

Prof. Steve Howdle – Nottingham University, UK

Prof. Tom Davis – University of New South Wales, Australia

The symposium will appeal to academic and industrial scientists with an interest in functional materials science. Student participation is also strongly encouraged and each symposium will offer students the opportunity to present their work during a poster session.

Poster abstract submission deadline is Friday 14^th October.

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Colourful toxin detection

15 Sep 2011

By Fiona McKenzie, Executive Editor.

Scientists in Canada have developed a simple chemical detector that could be used to detect airborne neurotoxic organophosphorus chemical warfare agents.

Exposure to organophosphorus agents blocks the action of cholinesterase enzymes, which causes the neurotransmitter acetylcholine to accumulate in the brain. This rapid reaction causes bronchoconstriction (constriction in the airways in the lungs, owing to a tightening of surrounding smooth muscle), seizures, and finally death. Some agents, such as sarin and soman, are odourless and colourless, which makes them difficult to detect. Current detection methods require specialist equipment and trained personnel, so are of limited use in the field.

The photoresponsive dithienylethene changes colour in the presence of an organophosphorus agent

Neil Branda at Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, and colleagues, have designed a chemical detector made of a dithienylethene compound that binds with organophosphorus agents in the same way that the agents bind to enzymes in the body. When the detector is bound to an agent, its structure alters, causing it to change from colourless to blue when exposed to UV light. This simple colour change provides a clear signal. Visible light resets the system by triggering the reverse reaction.

Read the full story in Chemistry World and download the ChemComm article to find out more about Branda’s research.

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IUCr 2011 poster prize winner

15 Sep 2011

By Fiona McKenzie, Executive Editor.

We are very pleased to announce Dr Kevin Riley, from the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, as the winner of the ChemComm sponsored poster prize from the IUCr2011 satellite meeting on Categorizing Halogen Bonding and Other Noncovalent Interactions Involving Halogen Atoms. His poster was titled “Halogen Bonds in Thyroid Receptor Protein–Ligand Interactions”. Dr Riley will receive one year’s free online subscription to ChemComm.

Dr Riley receives his certificate. From left to right: Pierangelo Metrangolo (program committee chairman), Christer Aakeroy (speaker), Kevin E. Riley, Giuseppe Resnati (program committee chairman).

CrystEngComm also sponsored a poster prize at the meeting which was awarded to Arijit Mukherjee from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Congratulations to both winners!

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Detecting caffeine

06 Sep 2011

By Fiona McKenzie, Executive Editor.

A team of researchers from Switzerland have used a commercially available fluorophore for detecting caffeine in water.

Previous methods for caffeine detection have been based on hydrogen-bonding receptors but these suffer from the need to use organic solvents. Whilst water-based detection has been achieved, the sensitivity and selectivity for caffeine was low.

Inspired by the known affinity of caffeine for polyaromatic compounds, Kay Severin and colleagues discovered that HPTS, a polysulfonated pyrene dye, can be used to selectively probe caffeine in liquid and solid samples. The team used the probe to quantify caffeine levels in soft drinks, coffee and painkillers, proving it can be used as a simpler alternative to HPLC.

Download the ChemComm article to find out more.

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Nominations invited for 2nd ChemComm Emerging Investigator Lectureship

05 Sep 2011

By Joanne Thomson.

Recognising and rewarding the very best emerging talent within the chemical sciences

We are delighted to invite nominations for the 2^nd ChemComm Emerging Investigator Lectureship. The lectureship, which is awarded annually, will recognise an emerging scientist in the early stages of their independent academic career.

To qualify
To be eligible for the ChemComm Emerging Investigator Lectureship, the candidate should have completed their PhD on or after 5th September 2003.

The candidate should also have published at least one article in ChemComm during the course of their independent career.

Award details
The recipient of the award will be invited to present a lecture at three different locations over a 12 month period. It is expected that at least one of the locations will be a conference. The recipient will receive a contribution of £1500 towards travel and accommodation costs. S/he will also be presented with a certificate and be asked to contribute a ChemComm Feature Article.

Nominations
Those wishing to make a nomination should send the following details to the ChemComm Editorial Office by 9th December 2011:

Recommendation letter, including the name, contact details and website URL of the nominee.
A one page CV for the nominee, including their date of birth, summary of education and career, list of up to five independent publications, total numbers of publications and patents and other indicators of esteem and evidence of independence.
A copy of the candidate’s best publication to date (as judged by the nominator).
Two supporting letters of recommendation from two independent referees. These should not be someone from the same institution or the candidate’s post doc or PhD supervisor.

The nominator and independent referees are requested to comment on the candidate’s presenting skills.

Please note that self nomination is not permitted.

Selection procedure
The ChemComm Editorial Board will draw up a short-list of candidates based on the information provided by the referees and nominator. Short-listed candidates will be asked to provide a supporting statement justifying why they deserve the award. The recipient of the award will then be selected and endorsed by the ChemComm Editorial Board.

Previous winner
2011 Dr Scott Dalgarno (Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK) – Find out about his Emerging Investigator Lecture tour in China

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RSC e-membership

31 Aug 2011

By Fiona McKenzie, Executive Editor.

This week, the RSC launched a new product, RSC e-membership, allowing anyone to access an electronic version of Chemistry World through a MyRSC account and to enjoy the benefits of electronic networking via this professional online community for £20/year.

Subscribers to this do not benefit from the professional recognition or any of the other many services and discounts available to RSC Members, but it allows chemists from around the world, many already members of another chemical society in their own country, to benefit from the highly-esteemed content in Chemistry World and the networking opportunities offered from MyRSC, which now stands at over 11,000 members. The RSC e-membership also allows subscribers to join a virtual specialist interest group on MyRSC. If you are interested in joining, please visit www.rsc.org/emembership.

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Cram Lehn Pedersen Prize – 2012 winner announced

30 Aug 2011

By Fiona McKenzie, Executive Editor.

Congratulations to Dr Jonathan Nitschke (University of Cambridge) who is the winner of the Cram Lehn Pedersen prize 2012.

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.

The prize is awarded to Dr Nitschke for his pioneering work in container molecules, functional materials and dynamic metal ligand chemistry. Dr Nitschke says “I’m incredibly honoured to receive this prize, which reflects most of all on the hard work, talent and creativity of my scientific co-workers, past and present. It’s a great pleasure to be a part of the vibrant international community of supramolecular chemists.”

Dr Nitschke will receive £2,000 and will present his award lecture at the 7^th International Symposium on Macrocyclic and Supramolecular Chemistry (7-ISMSC) at the University of Otago, New Zealand in January.

Professor Phil Gale, Head of Chemistry at the University of Southampton and member of the ISMSC international committee says “I’m delighted Jonathan has been awarded the Cram Lehn Pedersen prize. His elegant chemistry has provided new insights into the formation of complex systems using metal–ligand interactions. The award is richly deserved”.

Find out more about Dr Nitschke’s research by reading his Chemical Science Edge article: “Selective anion binding by a “Chameleon” capsule with a dynamically reconfigurable exterior”.

Also read his Chemical Science Mini Review: “Reactivity modulation in container molecules”.

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Meet our author… Weiping Wang

30 Aug 2011

By Will Dennis, Publishing Editor.

Weiping Wang is now a Ph.D. student under the supervision of Professor Ying Chau at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He has just passed his Ph.D. thesis defense and has been accepted into a postdoctoral position in Boston area. Weiping took some time out from his work to talk to ChemComm…

Chau and Wang’s recent ChemComm article, Efficient and facile formation of two-component nanoparticles via aromatic moiety directed self-assembly, presents a self assembling system based around Fmoc groups for the construction of nanoparticles.

What initially inspired you to become a scientist?

I grew up in a family of teachers and was influenced by my parents. I became interested in the natural sciences from a very young age. I spent my childhood making simple circuits, performing oil combustion, observing ant behavior. Becoming a scientist was a very natural path for me. After I started my Ph.D. my desire to become a scientist was consolidated. For me, scientific research is the best career in the world. You can accelerate societal development and bring benefits to the human race by investigating topics that interest you.

What was your motivation behind the research described in your ChemComm communication?

Aromatic groups conjugated with small molecules can engage in specific interactions to facilitate self-assembly. However, most synthetic small aromatic molecules self-assemble into nanofibrous structures, which are not suitable as drug delivery carriers. Inspired from the natural protein clathrin, we envisioned that a simple trigonal core molecule conjugated with three aromatic groups may achieve a rapid and efficient assembly into nanoparticles. Moreover, as drug delivery carriers, nanoparticles need to be well-dispersed at physiological conditions. This further motivated us to design this two-component self-assembling system employing aromatic interactions.

Where do you see your research heading next?

The two-step aromatic-directed self-assembling process allows us to introduce biofunctional peptides on the surface of nanoparticles. We have successfully prepared two-component nanoparticles functionalized by Fmoc-modified targeting peptides. The nanoparticles have shown attractive physicochemical and biofunctional properties for drug delivery application. Now the nanoparticles are being evaluated for encapsulating poorly soluble anticancer drugs and in vitro cytotoxicity. The idea of the self-assembling system may also inspire the construction of functional nanomaterials using other aromatic moieties. Other aromatic groups or even aromatic drug molecules may be formulated into a promising drug delivery system using a similar approach.

What advice would you have for young scientists considering a career in science research?

Passion is the most important factor to consider.

What do enjoy doing in your spare time?

Travelling, hiking, swimming and photography

If you could not be a scientist, but could be anything else, what would you be?

I think I would be an entrepreneur and start up a company with friends. I would like to know whether I can run a company well.

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Ginkgo biloba extract used to make Tamiflu

25 Aug 2011

By Joanne Thomson.

Graphical abstract: Extraction and isolation of shikimic acid from Ginkgo biloba leaves utilizing an ionic liquid that dissolves cellulose A new way of obtaining shikimic acid, the compound needed to make Tamiflu, has been discovered. Shikimic acid is normally obtained from star anise, a Chinese cooking spice. The shortage of star anise caused Roche problems a few years ago, when the demand for Tamiflu peaked during the H1N1 pandemic in 2009, so new sources are constantly being sought.

Toyonobu Usuki, from Sophia University, Tokyo, found that shikimic acid could be isolated from ginkgo biloba leaves using an ionic liquid. Ginkgo biloba is a tree mainly found in China and has often been used in Chinese medicine.

Find out more – read Usuki’s ChemComm communication.

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Chemical Communications Blog

2nd Unilever–RSC International Symposium on Functional Materials Science

Colourful toxin detection

IUCr 2011 poster prize winner

Detecting caffeine

Nominations invited for 2nd ChemComm Emerging Investigator Lectureship

RSC e-membership

Cram Lehn Pedersen Prize – 2012 winner announced

Meet our author… Weiping Wang

Ginkgo biloba extract used to make Tamiflu

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