Chemical Society Reviews Blog

In 2011, Chem Soc Rev published 6 themed issues containing 114 articles in total.

Visit our themed issue web pages to read more about the leading research in these subject areas…

Hybrid Materials (issue 2) – guest edited by Clément Sanchez, Susumu Kitagawa and Ken Shea.

C-H Functionalisation in Organic Synthesis (issue 4) – guest edited by Huw M. L. Davies, Justin Du Bois and Jin-Quan Yu.

Molecule-based Magnets (issue 6) – guest edited by Joel Miller and Dante Gatteschi.

Small Molecules in Biology (issue 8) – guest edited by Ali Tavassoli, Andrew Hamilton and David Spring.

Cross Coupling Reactions in Organic Synthesis (issue 10) – guest edited by Matthias Beller.

Advances in DNA-based Nanotechnology (issue 12) – guest edited by Eugen Stulz, Guido Clever, Mitsuhiko Shionoya and Chengde Mao.

Also of interest… Chem Soc Rev fact numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.

Chem Soc Rev is 40 years old this year.

The first article ever published in the journal was “Natural products from echinoderms” by Professor J. Stuart Grossert at Dalhousie University, Canada.

Professor Stuart Grossert’s research interests have diversified over the years and now focus on mass spectrometry. Read our recent blog post on biological mass spectrometry to find a collection of recently published review articles in this field.

Also of interest… Chem Soc Rev fact numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.

Chem Soc Rev Editor, Dr Robert Eagling, has recently begun dabbling in balloon modelling.

For modelling of a different kind, download the following selection of Chem Soc Rev articles…

The most frequently publishing author over the last 5 years is Professor Juyoung Yoon from Ewha Womans University who has authored a staggering 10 reviews, receiving over 500 citations so far.

Read Juyoung Yoon’s most recent Chem Soc Rev Critical Review on Fluorescent and luminescent probes for detection of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species.

Also of interest… Chem Soc Rev fact numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.

Chem Soc Rev has over 600 followers on Twitter.  To join the trend and make sure you are one of the first to know the latest journal news, follow us at www.twitter.com/chemsocrev.

The 2011 issue with the most downloads per article is the C-H Functionalisation in Organic Synthesis themed issue (issue 4).

The issue is guest edited by Professors Huw Davies, Justin Du Bois and Jin-Quan Yu and is dedicated to the memory of Professor Keith Fagnou.

C-H Functionalisation in Organic Synthesis hosts a collection of 13 Tutorial and Critical Reviews from leading scientists such as Robert Crabtree, Phil Baran, and John Hartwig. Visit the C-H Functionalisation in Organic Synthesis web page to see what this issue has on offer…

Also of interest… Chem Soc Rev fact numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

During the early days of any new field, words and their definitions are born and evolve. However, as research fields grow, the terms must be locked-in to allow the discussions to move forward. This is the case in the world of artificial molecular machines as Fraser Stoddart, Bartosz Grzybowski, Dean Astumian and co-workers discuss in their fascinating Tutorial Review. The authors clearly make the distinction between a molecular switch (which are “ten a penny”) and true molecular machines (which are “few and far between”).

What is the difference? It’s all down to the ability to perform useful work. A very simplistic analogy would be an engine in a car – the pistons have been designed to move up and down but the engine can’t go anywhere. It is only when the pistons are connected to a drive shaft that the car wheels can be forced to turn and the translocation of the machine can occur. And here we come to the first challenge: the interfacing of molecular switches to the environment in such a way that they can perform useful work. Avoiding reversibility in the switch cycle is key, but unfortunately this blog post is too short to get into the full details…

One molecular switch that is interfaced to its environment can do useful work at its own scale, but what about the macroscopic scale? To achieve this, there is a need to spatially and sometimes temporally organise the switches, just like in nature. How can this be done? The authors suggest that metal–organic frameworks may hold the key to this particular challenge.

What is particularly interesting in the field as a whole is the efficiency that energy can be converted into useful work. Potentially, this could be anywhere from 75% to close to 100%. When compared to the efficiency of a car engine (20–30%), it is spectacular. The reason for this is that chemical free energy can be directly converted into mechanical work, without having to be converted to heat energy first. The possible uses of artificial molecular machines are truly ground-breaking and the creation of a nanoscale robotic arm which shows precise positional control cannot be far off. Whoever is first can claim Feynman’s Grand Prize of $250,000, which should cover some lab expenses as well as a bottle of champagne or two!

This Tutorial Review clearly states the distinction between switches and machines and sets out the challenges facing the field in the years to come. Stoddart and Grzybowski’s roadmap should provide a useful guide to all researchers in this particularly exciting discipline of chemistry. It is time for the switches to be hooked up and useful work to be extracted.

To find out more, download the Chem Soc Rev article today.

Posted on behalf of Iain Larmour, Chem Soc Rev web science writer.

Today is Thanskgiving in the USA. As many sit down with friends and family to enjoy a feast of turkey and pumpkin pie, I wonder if anyone is thinking about the chemistry of their food?

Chem Soc Rev has published a number of food and drink-related reviews which are guaranteed to spice up your reading. Download the articles today to indulge yourself with science dedicated to flavour, analysis, engineering, and physiological effects of food.

Also of interest… Chem Soc Rev fact numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

In 2011, we published reviews from over 30 countries.

Chem Soc Rev continues to receive submissions from all corners of the globe. In 2011, the geographical breakdown of reviews published was the most balanced of all the multidisciplinary chemistry review journals, reflecting the journal’s highly international readership.

Geographical breakdown of reviews published in Chem Soc Rev in 2011

The greatest number of reviews were published by authors in the USA, Germany, the UK and China. Particularly of note, is the large review content from China which has increased nearly 3.5 times in the last 3 years!

Also of interest… Chem Soc Rev fact numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Chem Soc Rev began hosting the Emerging Investigator Lectureship award 5 years ago.

Last year’s winner was Professor Cristina Nevado for her work on natural product synthesis and development of new synthetic methodologies.

The closing date for the 2012 award is less than a month away so make your nominations by contacting the Editorial Office before the 15^th December 2011. Read the blog post to find out how to nominate.