Journal of Materials Chemistry Blog

A method to chemically save information in quaternary code using dyes could change how we approach data storage

Source: © Royal Society of Chemistry The researchers used their quaternary code to save and read different RNA nucleotide sequences (top) and could even create more intricate patterns like an owl

A flexible, transparent polymer film endowed with two small molecules can glow in three different colours, enabling data storage in a quaternary code. This chemical approach to data storage could allow more information to be stored in a smaller space than is possible with binary systems.

Modern storage devices need to be portable, robust and capable of carrying large amounts of data. One way to store information is through optical data storage. Data is recorded by making patterns that can be read back with the aid of light. Most techniques use binary code – systems that allow two different states, 1 and 0, for each data unit – to store information. Efforts have been made to increase the amount of information that these systems can store, mainly by physically reducing the size of each data unit. However, increasing the number of states each data unit could adopt, such as ternary (0, 1, 2) data storage, may lead to an exponential increase in information density.

To read the full article visit Chemistry World.

Beyond binary: optical data storage with 0, 1, 2, and 3 in polymer films
Peiran Wei, Bowen Li, Al de Leon and Emily Pentzer
J. Mater. Chem. C, 2017, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C7TC00929A, Paper

The Journal of Materials Chemistry Executive Editorial Board is pleased to announce that the 2017 Journal of Materials Chemistry lectureship is now open for nominations.

This annual lectureship honours an early-career scientist who has made a significant contribution to the field of materials chemistry.

Professor Christopher Bettinger was awarded the 2016 Journal of Materials Chemistry Lectureship by the Journal of Materials Chemistry Executive Editorial Board, and presented his lecture at the 2017 Spring MRS in Arizona, USA on 19 April 2017.

Qualification

To be eligible for the Journal of Materials Chemistry Lectureship, the candidate should be in the early stage of their scientific career, typically within 10 years of attaining their doctorate or equivalent degree, and will have made a significant contribution to the field of materials chemistry.

Description

The recipient of the award will be asked to present a Journal of Materials Chemistry lecture at a conference decided upon by the recipient and the Editorial Office. The Journal of Materials Chemistry Editorial Office will provide £1,000 to the recipient for travel and accommodation costs, and will present the winner with the award at this lecture. The award recipient will also be asked to contribute an invited article to the journal and will have their work showcased on the back cover of the issue in which their article is published.

Selection

The recipient of the lectureship will be selected and endorsed by the Journal of Materials Chemistry’s prestigious Executive Editorial Board.

Nominations

Those wishing to make a nomination should send details of the nominee, including a brief curriculum vita (no longer than 2 pages) and a letter supporting the nomination (no longer than 2 pages), to the Journal of Materials Chemistry Editorial Office by 16th June 2017. Please note that self-nomination is permitted, and you may re-nominate previous candidates.

Send a nomination here today: materials-rsc@rsc.org

Electrospinning carbon nanofibre into an electrocatalyst paves the way to flexible energy storage devices

Scientists from China and Singapore have used electrospinning to make a free-standing catalyst for generating hydrogen and oxygen that could be made on an industrial scale.

Oxygen reduction and hydrogen evolution are electrocatalysed in water splitting devices. The best catalysts are usually platinum-based, but they are costly and not very durable, which limits their use on a large scale.

To read the full article visit Chemistry World.

Design and synthesis of porous channel-rich carbon nanofibers for self-standing oxygen reduction reaction and hydrogen evolution reaction bifunctional catalysts in alkaline medium
Dongxiao Ji, Shengjie Peng, Jia Lu, Linlin Li, Shengyuan Yang, Guorui Yang, Xiaohong Qin, Madhavi Srinivasan and Seeram Ramakrishna
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2017, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C7TA00828G, Paper

Scientists in China have turned wood into a transparent material that could be used as a replacement for glass in energy efficient buildings.

Windows are a key factor in making buildings more energy efficient, by helping to control heat and light levels. For instance, windows that transmit visible light but block infra-red light could reduce the need for air conditioning in buildings. ‘Lighting and air conditioning account for 30-40% of the total energy used in buildings, most of which is exchanged via windows,’ says Yanfeng Gao, one of the authors of the research and a professor at Shanghai University.

Source: © Royal Society of Chemistry
A model house with transparent wood windows (left hand house) had a cooler interior than one with glass windows. The cooling effect is improved by adding caesium tungsten oxide nanoparticles (top row)

To read the fill article visit Chemistry World.

Transparent wood containing CsxWO3 nanoparticles for heat-shielding window applications
Ziya Yu, Yongji Yao, Jianing Yao, Liangmiao Zhang, Zhang Chen, Yanfeng Gao and Hongjie Luo
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2017,5, 6019-6024
DOI: 10.1039/C7TA00261K, Communication