Archive for the ‘Themed Issue’ Category

PCCP themed collection: Recent Developments in Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence – out now!

Metal Enhanced Fluorescence Editoral CoverWe are delighted to announce that the PCCP themed collection on Recent Developments in Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence has now been published online – take a look today!

The themed collection was Guest Edited by Chris D. Geddes.

The cover article is an editorial on Metal-enhanced fluorescence by Chris D. Geddes.

Recent Developments in Metal-Enhanced Fluorescence themed collection features a broad range of Papers and Communications and features the following Perspective articles:

Take a look at the collection today!

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Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2013: Multiscale modelling

Journal cover imageCongratulations to Professors Martin Karplus, Michael Levitt and Arieh Warshel who were jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2013 “for the development of multiscale models for complex chemical systems”.

The ability of scientists to model ever more complex systems in a shorter time-frame has been an important development over recent years, enabled by advances in computing power coupled with exciting new approaches such as that established by Karplus, Levitt and Warshel.

Professor Warshel’s PCCP Perspective article, with Shina Caroline Lynn Kamerlin, on “Multiscale modeling of biological functions” gives an overview of developments in the application of this technique to complex biological systems as well as potential future directions for research in this area:

Multiscale modeling of biological functions
Shina Caroline Lynn Kamerlin and Arieh Warshel
DOI: 10.1039/C0CP02823A

Check out the full PCCP themed issue on Multiscale modelling today to find out more about this Nobel Prize winning field!

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Web-collection on porous materials with FEZA 2014

We are delighted to announce a cross journal web collection on porous materials in conjunction with the FEZA 2014 conference which will cover all aspects of science and technology associated with ordered porous materials – zeolites, zeotypes, mesostructured materials and porous coordination polymers.

Nine Royal Society of Chemistry publications are encouraging submissions for the collection:

Catalysis Science & Technology
Dalton Transactions
Green Chemistry

Journal of Materials Chemistry A
Journal of Materials Chemistry B
Journal of Materials Chemistry C
Nanoscale

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics (PCCP)
RSC Advances

The overall theme of the conference is “Porous Systems: From Novel Materials to Sustainable Solutions” and it will cover a wide range of topics from the synthesis of porous solids, advanced characterization, modeling, gas adsorption and separation, catalytic applications and natural occurring zeolites to the sustainable technological uses of porous systems and their applications in biology and medicine.

Submissions are welcome to the relevant journal across the themes of the conference. We encourage you to submit to this collection highlighting the challenges and opportunities in the fast moving field of porous materials.

Articles can be submitted from now until the 9th June 2014 and the collection will receive promotion at the conference in September. Please indicate in your covering letter that your submission is for consideration for the FEZA 2014 collection. Please note that all submissions will be subject to the normal peer review process.

If you have any queries or for more information, please contact the relevant Editorial Office: catalysis-rsc@rsc.org, dalton-rsc@rsc.org, materialsa-rsc@rsc.org, materialsb-rsc@rsc.org, materialsc-rsc@rsc.org, nanoscale-rsc@rsc.org, pccp-rsc@rsc.org or advances-rsc@rsc.org.

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PCCP themed issue: Physical Chemistry of Nanoparticles

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics (PCCP) is delighted to announce a forthcoming high-profile themed issue on “Physical Chemistry of Nanoparticles”, with Guest Editors Jochen Küpper (Center for Free-Electron Laser Science, DESY and University of Hamburg) Alf Mews and Horst Weller (University of Hamburg).

This will be the official themed issue of the international Bunsentagung 2014 meeting on the same theme organised by the Deutsche Bunsen-Gesellschaft (DBG) which takes place in 2014 in Hamburg, Germany.  Free copies of the themed issue will be available at the meeting, maximising the visibility and profile of all published papers.

Deadline for submissions: 20th December 2013

If you wish to contribute to this themed issue, please contact the PCCP Editorial Office: pccp-rsc@rsc.org

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Superresolution imaging and fabrication with light – PCCP themed collection, Issue 36

PCCP is delighted to present its current issue which includes an excellent collection of articles on the theme of Superresolution imaging and fabrication with light, Guest Edited by Françisco M. Raymo. Read his Perspective article to find out more about some of the latest developments in this exciting field.

The outside front cover features a Single molecule recordings of lysozyme activity article by Yongki Choi, Gregory A. Weiss and Philip G. Collins.

Highlights of this issue include:

Activation of BODIPY fluorescence by the photoinduced dealkylation of a pyridinium quencher
Sherif Shaban Ragab, Subramani Swaminathan, James D. Baker and Françisco M. Raymo

Understanding super-resolution nanoscopy and its biological applications in cell imaging
Dehong Hu, Baoming Zhao, Yumei Xie, Galya Orr and Alexander D. Q. Li     

Radical diffusion limits to photoinhibited superresolution lithography
Darren L. Forman, Michael C. Cole and Robert R. McLeod  

Determination of two-photon photoactivation rates of fluorescent proteins
Tobias M. P. Hartwich, Fedor V. Subach, Lynn Cooley, Vladislav V. Verkhusha and Joerg Bewersdorf  

Sensitized excited free-radical processes as read–write tools: impact on non-linear lithographic processes
Stefania Impellizzeri, Kevin G. Stamplecoskie and Juan. C. Scaiano

Keep up to date with the latest PCCP articles and news: sign up to receive our free table of contents e-alerts and follow us on twitter.

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PCCP themed issue: Fundamental Processes in Semiconductor Nanocrystals

Fundamental Processes in Semiconductor Nanocrystals
Guest Editors: Efrat Lifshitz (Technion) and Laurens Siebbeles (TU Delft)

PCCP is delighted to announce a high-profile themed issue ‘Fundamental Processes in Semiconductor Nanocrystals’.

The themed issue will be published in Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics (PCCP) in 2014, and will receive great exposure. The issue will get significant promotion at the NanoGe meeting “Fundamental Processes in semiconductor nanocrystals” to be held from 8 to 10 September 2014 in Oxford, UK.

Semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs), known for their tuneable electronic band structure, have been at the centre of significant interest over two decades, owing to potential application in various opto-electronic devices and biological platforms.

Please contact the PCCP Editorial Office (pccp-rsc@rsc.org) if you are interested in contributing to this themed issue. The deadline for submissions to the themed issue is 31st March 2014

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PCCP themed issue: Electrocatalysis – fundamental insights for sustainable energy

Electrocatalysis – fundamental insights for sustainable energy
Guest Editors: Marc Koper (Leiden University) and Yasuhiro Iwasawa (The University of Tokyo)

PCCP is delighted to announce a high-profile themed issue ‘Electrocatalysis – fundamental insights for sustainable energy’. This will be guest edited by Marc Koper (Leiden University) and Yasuhiro Iwasawa (The University of Tokyo). The themed issue will be published in Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics (PCCP) in 2014.

With the projected future “electrification” of our society through solar and wind power, the conversion of electricity to chemical bonds and vice versa will be an essential field of physical chemistry in the decades to come. Basic fundamental understanding of these processes, both in model studies and at a more device level, requires detailed quantitative physical-chemistry approaches. This themed issue will deal with the physical chemistry approach to electrocatalysis, balancing fundamental and more applied studies, and aims to have a significant impact on the future directions of this important field.

Please contact the PCCP Editorial Office (pccp-rsc@rsc.org) if you are interested in contributing to this themed issue. The deadline for submissions to this themed issue is the 17th January 2014.


Catalysis Science & TechnologyPCCP is a sister journal to Catalysis Science and Technology. Catalysis Science & Technology brings together the best quality research from the heterogeneous, homogeneous, organocatalysis and bio-catalysis communities.

We thought you might be interested to read these recent articles published in Catalysis Science & Technology in the area of electrocatalysis:

Electrocatalytic effect of ZnO nanoparticles on reduction of nitroaromatic compounds
Her Shuang Toh, Adriano Ambrosi and Martin Pumera
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2013,3, 123-127
DOI: 10.1039/C2CY20253K, Paper

Recent progress in the electrochemical conversion and utilization of CO2
Neil S. Spinner, Jose A. Vega and William E. Mustain
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2012,2, 19-28
DOI: 10.1039/C1CY00314C, Perspective

Graphene support for enhanced electrocatalytic activity of Pd for alcohol oxidation
Ravindra Nath Singh and Rahul Awasthi
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2011,1, 778-783
DOI: 10.1039/C1CY00021G, Paper

Shape-controlled synthesis of Pt nanostructures and evaluation of catalytic and electrocatalytic performance
Sourov Ghosh and C. Retna Raj
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2013,3, 1078-1085
DOI: 10.1039/C2CY20652H, Paper

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Computational chemistry: predicting or understanding measurements?

Table of contents imageIn my understanding, science is the search for answers. The validity of the research is then defined by the nature of the question.

Computational chemistry is a two-headed scientist, where one head is constantly trying to find cost-effective methods for screening molecular interactions, lock-and-key matches of drug candidates etc. While the other head is busy creating a theoretical model able to emulate nature as close as possible. Either head is plagued by the need to understand nature and benchmark against experimental data. The computational results must constantly be contrasted to experiments, as not to lose the contact with reality and be caught in the virtual world. This is highlighted in the excellent report by Vöhringer and Kirchner on the computing of vibrational spectra.

Martin Thomas and co-workers makes a thorough review of the field of calculating vibrational spectra, followed by an easily approached walk-through of the theory they use when generating vibrational spectra from MD simulations. Reading the paper, I must admit I gained high expectations as to the results. I have been away from the field a couple of years. So instead of the being impressed by the results, I was slightly disappointed, which is completely unfair. Not only does the work move from the static system and the harmonic approximation, it also takes us from the gas phase to solvated molecules. Well, the experimental data is not matched, but we are getting closer.

by Dr Thomas Just Sørensen

Read more details of this fascinating article which is part of the themed collection “Theory meets spectroscopy“:

Computing vibrational spectra from ab initio molecular dynamics

Martin Thomas, Martin Brehm, Reinhold Fligg, Peter Vöhringer and Barbara Kirchner
DOI: 10.1039/C3CP44302G

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PCCP themed collection: Theory meets spectroscopy – out now!

We are delighted to announce that the PCCP themed collection on Theory meets spectroscopy has now been published online – take a look today!

The themed collection was Guest Edited by Manfred Kappes and Wim Klopper.

The outside front cover features a perspective article on Comparing molecular photofragmentation dynamics in the gas and liquid phases by Stephanie J. Harris, Daniel Murdock, Yuyuan Zhang, Thomas A. A. Oliver, Michael P. Grubb, Andrew J. Orr-Ewing, Gregory M. Greetham, Ian P. Clark, Michael Towrie, Stephen E. Bradforth and Michael N. R. Ashfold.

Theory meets spectroscopy themed collection features a broad range of Papers and Communications and includes the following Perspective articles:

Take a look at the issue today!

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The reach of surface plasmons

Table of contents imageTechnology based on surface plasmon resonances and localised surface plasmon resonances is surging. And so is the research into SPR effects, see for instance the recent PCCP themed collection: Plasmonics and spectroscopy.

In this paper from University of Exeter, Thomas Read and co-workers determine the propagation of plasmon fields in biological media. They make as stack immunoglobulin molecules and determine the critical parameter (β for us who grew up with reading electron transfer literature) for a plasmonic gold surface and a gold nanoparticle. The numbers are 17.5 nm and 90 nm, respectively. As the number goes in the denominator in an exponential, this is a significant difference in the reach of the plasmon fields.

I find it enticing that, in a field dominated by physicists, a chemical approach using biomolecules is the experimentalists answer to measure the extent of the plasmon fields. By building a tower of molecules it is possible to see the step wise change in the read-out from the SPR platform. For a person outside the field, the paper contain an advert for the home-build LSPR platform the authors use in their experiments. The data from this set-up completely outshines the data from the commercial SPR platform.

If your curiosity has been aroused, the full paper is published in PCCP under the title:

Measurement of the localised plasmon penetration depth for gold nanoparticles using a non-invasive bio-stacking method
Thomas Read, Rouslan V. Olkhov and Andrew M. Shaw
DOI: 10.1039/C3CP50758K

by Dr Thomas Just Sørensen

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