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Renewables pair up to power tiny generator

03 Dec 2013

A current is generated by airflow resonating the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) film

Tiny generators that harvest light and wind energy together have been developed by scientists in China. This technology works 24 hours a day to generate power and could run sensors or LEDs, or even charge lithium-ion batteries.

Shrinking triboelectric generators into today’s tiny gadgets limits their output. Friction between two films within the device generates the power but when miniaturised, the wear of these electrodes hinders this process.

Read the full article at Chemistry World today!

Nanogenerator for Harvesting Airflow Energy and Light Energy
Chenguo Hu, et al.
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2013, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/C3TA14421F, Paper

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Recipe for a jelly-based fuel cell catalyst

25 Nov 2013

An international team of researchers have used gelatin as their starting material to make doped-carbon electrocatalysts. They might not wobble but they could one day replace platinum in fuel cells.

The gelatin foam doesn’t look like jelly (a). The scanning electron microscope image of the foam (b) shows lots of tiny bubbles

Zoe Schnepp from the University of Birmingham in the UK and colleagues at the National Institute for Materials Science in Japan wanted to show that you don’t have to compromise on properties by being green.

Read the full article at Chemistry World.

Doped-carbon electrocatalysts with trimodal porosity from a homogeneous polypeptide gel
Zoe Schnepp, et al.
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2013, 1, 13576-13581
DOI: 10.1039/C3TA12996A

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Detecting iron the smart way

13 Nov 2013

Spanish scientists have developed a way to quantitatively measure the amount of iron in a solution using a colour changing material and photos taken on a smartphone.

Graphical Abstract

Iron is present in almost every aspect of our lives but an excess, known as iron overload, can cause significant long term effects ranging from liver damage to arthritis as a result of iron deposition in organs or joints. As such, the amount of iron in a variety of environments needs to be carefully monitored.

Read the full article in Chemisty World here.

Read the original articles below:

Solid sensory polymer substrates for the quantification of iron in blood, wine and water by a scalable RGB technique
Saúl Vallejos, et al, J. Mater. Chem. A, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C3TA12703F

Sub-ppm quantification of Hg(II) in aqueous media using both the naked eye and digital information from pictures of a colorimetric sensory polymer membrane taken with the digital camera of a conventional mobile phone
José M. García, et al, Anal. Methods, 2013, 5, 54-58, DOI: 10.1039/C2AY26307F

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Sustainable materials sound good

23 Oct 2013

Cellulose fibres covered with magnetic nanoparticles have been used to make ultrathin loudspeakers by researchers in Sweden. The material could provide a cheaper and more sustainable alternative to the polymers traditionally used in speakers.

The speaker membrane is only 50 μm thick

Conventional loudspeakers contain a bulky magnet that is becoming harder to incorporate into our ever-shrinking gadgets. A coil attached to the speaker membrane is essential for moving the membrane and creating sound waves but the force of this coil can also reduce sound quality. The biocomposite membrane developed by Richard Olsson, Lars Berglund and their teams at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm removes the need for a bulky magnet and enhances sound quality because there is no coil in contact with the membrane.

Read the full story at Chemistry World.

Cellulose Nanofibers Decorated with Magnetic Nanoparticles – Synthesis, Structure and Use in Magnetized High Toughness Membranes for a Prototype Loudspeaker
Richard T Olsson et al, J. Mater. Chem. C, 2013, Accepted Manuscript, DOI: 10.1039/C3TC31748J

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Top 10 most-read Journal of Materials Chemistry articles in July

15 Oct 2012

This month sees the following Journal of Materials Chemistry articles that are in the top ten most accessed for July:

Strategies for chemical modification of graphene and applications of chemically modified graphene
Jingquan Liu, Jianguo Tang and J. Justin Gooding
J. Mater. Chem., 2012, 22, 12435-12452
DOI: 10.1039/C2JM31218B

Chemistry, physics and biology of graphene-based nanomaterials: new horizons for sensing, imaging and medicine
Jun Yao, Yu Sun, Mei Yang and Yixiang Duan
J. Mater. Chem., 2012, 22, 14313-14329
DOI: 10.1039/C2JM31632C

One-step synthesis of hollow porous Fe₃O₄ beads–reduced graphene oxide composites with superior battery performance
Yu Chen, Bohang Song, Xiaosheng Tang, Li Lu and Junmin Xue
J. Mater. Chem., 2012, 22, 17656-17662
DOI: 10.1039/C2JM32057F

Synthesis of long TiO₂ nanowire arrays with high surface areas via synergistic assembly route for highly efficient dye-sensitized solar cells
Xiaoyue Wang, Yong Liu, Xiang Zhou, Baojun Li, Hai Wang, Wenxia Zhao, Hong Huang, Chaolun Liang, Xiao Yu, Zhong Liu and Hui Shen
J. Mater. Chem., 2012, 22, 17531-17538
DOI: 10.1039/C2JM32883F

The chemistry of graphene
Kian Ping Loh, Qiaoliang Bao, Priscilla Kailian Ang and Jiaxiang Yang
J. Mater. Chem., 2010, 20, 2277-2289
DOI: 10.1039/B920539J

Highly luminescent π-conjugated dithienometalloles: photophysical properties and their application in organic light-emitting diodes
Ryosuke Kondo, Takuma Yasuda, Yu Seok Yang, Jun Yun Kim and Chihaya Adachi
J. Mater. Chem., 2012, 22, 16810-16816
DOI: 10.1039/C2JM33526C

Recent advances in high mobility donor–acceptor semiconducting polymers
Laure Biniek, Bob C. Schroeder, Christian B. Nielsen and Iain McCulloch
J. Mater. Chem., 2012, 22, 14803-14813
DOI: 10.1039/C2JM31943H

MnO₂ ultralong nanowires with better electrical conductivity and enhanced supercapacitor performances
Wenyao Li, Qian Liu, Yangang Sun, Jianqing Sun, Rujia Zou, Gao Li, Xianghua Hu, Guosheng Song, Guanxiang Ma, Jianmao Yang, Zhigang Chen and Junqing Hu
J. Mater. Chem., 2012, 22, 14864-14867
DOI: 10.1039/C2JM33368F

Hierarchically micro/nanostructured photoanode materials for dye-sensitized solar cells
Hong-Yan Chen, Dai-Bin Kuang and Cheng-Yong Su
J. Mater. Chem., 2012, 22, 15475-15489
DOI: 10.1039/C2JM32402D

A robust composite of SnO₂ hollow nanospheres enwrapped by graphene as a high-capacity anode material for lithium-ion batteries
Xiaosi Zhou, Ya-Xia Yin, Li-Jun Wan and Yu-Guo Guo
J. Mater. Chem., 2012, 22, 17456-17459
DOI: 10.1039/C2JM32984K

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

New for 2013: the Journal of Materials Chemistry brand will continue as three journals, each focusing on an area of materials chemistry, divided by the intended applications of the materials studied. Find out more

Fancy submitting an article to Journal of Materials Chemistry? Then why not submit to us today!

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‘Training’ a memristive network

24 Sep 2012

Researchers in Italy and Germany have developed an organic memristive device that mimics the adaptive processes occurring in nervous systems such as the human brain. The work is one of the main findings of the European Commission’s Seventh Framework Programme Future and Emerging Technologies-Open project which has brought together physicists, chemists, neuroscientists and mathematicians to create breakthroughs in information and communication technologies.

Memristors (‘memory resistors’) are electronic elements with a resistance which is a function of the charge passing through them. Importantly, when the current is removed, the memristor retains this final resistance, providing a capability similar to a biological synapse. The team, led by Victor Erokhin at the University of Parma, incorporated a conducting polymer memristor into a self-assembling stochastic 3D network reminiscent of the brain’s random distribution of neurons and the connections between them.

Spaghetti analogy for training the polymer network. Top: The main components of the organic memristive device. Bottom: Italian children learn that spaghetti can only be eaten with forks (strong association), whereas foreigners in Italy also can eat spaghetti with forks, but upon returning to their own country may begin to use spoons again (dynamic adaptation).

Read the full article at Chemistry World.

Stochastic hybrid 3D matrix: learning and adaptation of electrical properties
Victor Erokhin, Tatiana Berzina, Konstantin Gorshkov, Paolo Camorani, Andrea Pucci, Lucia Ricci, Giacomo Ruggeri, Rodrigo Sigala and Almut Schuez
J. Mater. Chem., 2012, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/C2JM35064E

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Fruit juice infused chocolate to reduce fat consumption

07 Sep 2012

Fruit juice has been used by scientists in the UK to replace up to half of the fat content from cocoa butter and milk fats in milk and white chocolate.

From left to right: Team members Tom Skelhon, Adam Morgan and Stefan Bon © University of Warwick

Stefan Bon and his colleagues at the University of Warwick made a water-in-oil emulsion to replace the fat by adding fruit juices, water with added vitamin C or flat coke to chocolate formulations.

Read the full article at Chemistry World.

Quiescent water-in-oil Pickering emulsions as a route toward healthier fruit juice infused chocolate confectionary
Thomas S. Skelhon , Nadia Grossiord , Adam R. Morgan and Stefan A. F. Bon
J. Mater. Chem., 2012, 22, 19289-19295
DOI: 10.1039/C2JM34233B

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Top 10 most-read Journal of Materials Chemistry articles in June

08 Aug 2012

This month sees the following Journal of Materials Chemistry articles that are in the top ten most accessed for June:

Colloidal nanocomposite particles: quo vadis?
Jennifer A. Balmer, Andreas Schmid and Steven P. Armes
J. Mater. Chem., 2008, 18, 5722-5730
DOI: 10.1039/B805764H

Facile one-pot synthesis of mesoporous hierarchically structured silica/carbon nanomaterials
Xinghua Zhang, Yanan Li and Chuanbao Cao
J. Mater. Chem., 2012, 22, 13918-13921
DOI: 10.1039/C2JM32723F

A facile route for nitrogen-doped hollow graphitic carbon spheres with superior performance in supercapacitors
Fangwei Ma, Hui Zhao, Liping Sun, Qiang Li, Lihua Huo, Tian Xia, Shan Gao, Guangsheng Pang, Zhan Shi and Shouhua Feng
J. Mater. Chem., 2012, 22, 13464-13468
DOI: 10.1039/C2JM32960C

VO₂(B) nanorods: solvothermal preparation, electrical properties, and conversion to rutile VO₂ and V₂O₃
Serena A. Corr, Madeleine Grossman, Yifeng Shi, Kevin R. Heier, Galen D. Stucky and Ram Seshadri
J. Mater. Chem., 2009, 19, 4362-4367
DOI: 10.1039/B900982E

One-pot synthesis of Ag–Fe₃O₄ nanocomposites in the absence of additional reductant and its potent antibacterial properties
Jie Liu, Zhiwei Zhao, Hui Feng and Fuyi Cui
J. Mater. Chem., 2012, 22, 13891-13894
DOI: 10.1039/C2JM31831H

Organic bulk heterojunction solar cells based on solution processable small molecules (A–π–A) featuring 2-(4-nitrophenyl) acrylonitrile acceptors and phthalimide-based π-linkers
G. D. Sharma, J. A. Mikroyannidis, Rajnish Kurchania and K. R. Justin Thomas
J. Mater. Chem., 2012, 22, 13986-13995
DOI: 10.1039/C2JM16915K

Chemically derived graphene–metal oxide hybrids as electrodes for electrochemical energy storage: pre-graphenization or post-graphenization?
Cheng-Meng Chen, Qiang Zhang, Jia-Qi Huang, Wei Zhang, Xiao-Chen Zhao, Chun-Hsien Huang, Fei Wei, Yong-Gang Yang, Mao-Zhang Wang and Dang Sheng Su
J. Mater. Chem., 2012, 22, 13947-13955
DOI: 10.1039/C2JM16042K

The chemistry of graphene
Kian Ping Loh, Qiaoliang Bao, Priscilla Kailian Ang and Jiaxiang Yang
J. Mater. Chem., 2010, 20, 2277-2289
DOI: 10.1039/B920539J

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

Fancy submitting an article to Journal of Materials Chemistry? Then why not submit to us today!

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Light power for nanobiodevices

31 Jul 2012

Scientists in China have created a laser-driven photovoltaic cell that can produce electrical power for nanobiodevices implanted beneath the skin.

(a) Illustration of a laser-driven photovoltaic cell containing a rare earth nanophosphor nanorod film. (b) and (c) The device on chicken skin with a 980nm laser turned off and on

Wireless nanobiodevices, such as nanorobots and cardiac pacemakers, are currently limited in their applications by their requirement for power. Nanogenerators that convert mechanical energy into electrical power have been investigated, but the output power is too low for many medical nanobiodevices, and biofuel cells that use chemical energy to provide power are severely limited by the in vivo environment of the devices.

Read the full article in Chemistry World.

Construction of 980-nm laser-driven dye-sensitized photovoltaic cell with excellent performance for powering nanobiodevices implanted under the skin
Lisha Zhang, Qiwei Tian, Wenju Xu, Xingyu Kuang, Junqing Hu, Meifang Zhu, Jianshe Liu and Zhigang Chen
J. Mater. Chem., 2012, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/C2JM33742H

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Flattening nanotubes produces better graphene

10 Jul 2012

Scientists in China have flattened carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to improve the quality and yield of graphene.

One potential use of graphene is to produce better transparent conductors for touchscreen phones

Since its isolation in 2004, graphene (single-layer graphite) has become a worldwide phenomenon and, with its incredible properties, is expected to have a huge impact in various fields. However, one of the biggest obstacles to its widespread industrial use is large scale production.

Read the full article in Chemistry World

Precise unzipping of flattened carbon nanotubes to regular graphene nanoribbons by acid cutting along the folding edges
Yan-Ru Kang , Ya-Li Li and Min-Yang Deng
J. Mater. Chem., 2012, Accepted Manuscript
DOI: 10.1039/C2JM33385F

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