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Unilever-RSC International Symposium in China announced

One country, three cities, three meetings – The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and Unilever are coming to China.

This Symposium will feature three one day meetings that will take place at three different locations throughout China. Each one day meeting will feature a selection of lectures covering the properties and applications of many different materials given by some of the world’s leading international scientists. The symposium is supported by Unilever and has been organised by them, the RSC, as well as the three host universities.

The three symposia will take place at the following:-

*  Monday 8th November – Symposium at University of Chemical Technology (BUCT), Beijing, hosted by  Professor Wantai Yang 
Wednesday 10th November – Symposium at Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, hosted by Professor Bogeng Li 
Thursday 11th November – Symposium at East China University of Science and Technology (ECUST),  Shanghai, hosted by Professor He Tian 

 

Attendance at any of the three one day meetings is free although delegates are asked to register; 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.

For more information on this symposium, to see the list of speakers or to register your attendance please visit the website for more details.

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Hot Article: Fulfilling thermoelectric promises: β-Zn4Sb3 from materials research to power generation

Bo Brummerstedt Iversen discusses β-Zn4Sb3 as a thermoelectric material. Zn4Sb3 is an excellent thermoelectric material made of cheap, “non-toxic” elements, but behind the simple formula hides a very complex truth.

Graphical abstract: Fulfilling thermoelectric promises: β-Zn4Sb3 from materials research to power generation

The β-phase of Zn4Sb3 was rediscovered as a very promising thermoelectric material in the mid-nineties. The material seemed to have it all: a very high thermoelectric figure of merit in the technologically important mid-temperature region (200–400 °C), potential for further optimization through doping and best of all it was made of cheap, “non-toxic” and abundant elements…

Interested to know more? Read the full article here:

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Hot Article: Control of stoichiometry, size and morphology of inorganic polymers by template assisted coordination chemistry

Recent years have seen the discovery of fascinating electronic properties in Prussian blue analogues and derivatives making them appealing candidates for the realization of molecular devices. Their successful integration into real applications however depends on a further processing step allowing the control of their size, shape and spatial organization at the surface or within a solid matrix.

 Graphical abstract: Control of stoichiometry, size and morphology of inorganic polymers by template assisted coordination chemistry

Here, Anne Bleuzen and co-workers report an original strategy allowing the controlled precipitation of Prussian blue analogues and derivatives within the well-defined porosity of ordered mesoporous silica monoliths exhibiting various structures. This synthetic route offers great potentials for the study of Prussian blue derived particles as a function of their size, their shape and even their orientation in magnetic or electric fields.

Interested to know more? Read the full article here:
Pierrick Durand, Giulia Fornasieri, Cédric Baumier, Patricia Beaunier, Dominique Durand, Eric Rivière and Anne Bleuzen, J. Mater. Chem., 2010, DOI: 10.1039/C0JM01552K

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Hot Article: A “tool box” for rational design of degradable controlled release formulations

Controlled release technology could provide a universal solution to the problems of patient compliance and sub-optimal dosing that often plague modern pharmaceuticals. Yet, harnessing this potential requires the ability to design drug delivery formulations which satisfy specific dosing schedules. 

Graphical abstract: A “tool box” for rational design of degradable controlled release formulations

This review intends to portray how material properties, processing methods and mathematical models can serve as effective tools for rationally tuning the duration and rate of drug release from biodegradable polymer matrices.

Read the full article here: Sam N. Rothstein and Steven R. Little, J. Mater. Chem., 2010, DOI: 10.1039/C0JM01668C

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Hot Article: Anodic TiO2 nanotube arrays with optical wavelength-sized apertures

Arash Mohammadpour and Karthik Shankar from the University of Alberta, Canada, report the fabrication and optical properties of very large diameter titanium dioxide nanotube arrays with inner diameters as large as 900 nm. This surpasses the largest inner diameter reported thus far for anodically formed self-organized TiO2 nanotubes by a factor of 2.5.

Graphical abstract: Anodic TiO2 nanotube arrays with optical wavelength-sized apertures

Read the full article here:

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Hot Article: Europium(III)-doped liquid-crystalline physical gels

A red-emitting molecular europium(III) complex has been doped into liquid-crystalline (LC) physical gels consisting of 4-pentyl-4′-cyanobiphenyl (5CB) with amino acid-based gelators. Light scattering cells on the basis of these LC physical gels could be switched between a non-transparent off-state and a transparent on-state by on–off application of electric fields. The gels produced intense red light when they were irradiated with UV-light.

Graphical abstract: Europium(iii)-doped liquid-crystalline physical gels

Interested to know more? Read the full article here:

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Hot Feature Article: Nanoporous molecular crystals

This feature article reviews Nanoporous Molecular Crystals (NMCs), which are nanoporous materials composed of discrete molecules between which there are only non-covalent interactions—i.e. they do not possess an extended framework composed of covalent or coordination bonds.

 Graphical abstract: Nanoporous molecular crystals

Interested to know more? Read the full article here:

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Hot Article: Surface modification of semiconductor nanocrystals with a fullerene

A functional interface between PbS and CdSe NCs and a new fullerene ligand is demonstrated. The dramatic PL quenching upon increasing amount of attached fullerenes indicates photoinduced charge transfer from the NCs to the fullerene derivatives.

Graphical abstract: Surface modification of semiconductor nanocrystals by a methanofullerene carboxylic acid

This molecule is an excellent candidate to serve as electroactive ligand for NCs and form novel complexes, which could be very promising building blocks for optoelectronic devices.

Read the full article here:

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Self-healing coatings for steel

Intrinsically conducting polymer coatingA conducting polymer film acts as a self healing coating to protect metals from corrosion, say researchers in Japan.

Steel is used to construct many different structures but is susceptible to corrosion, which can limit its practical uses and lifetime. Structures such as bridges or boats are often exposed to salt solutions that rapidly corrode them. This is a large problem and costs related to corrosion in developed countries amounts to approximately four per cent of their gross national product.

Damian Kowalski and coworkers at Hokkaido University have developed a new type of coating using an intrinsically conducting polymer (ICP), polypyrrole, which could be used as an alternative to expensive and toxic chromates currently used.

Interested to know more? Read Jon Watson’s article in Highlights in Chemical Science for free here:

Original research article available here: Damian Kowalski, Mikito Ueda and Toshiaki Ohtsuka, J. Mater. Chem., 2010, 20, 7630 – 7633, DOI: 10.1039/c0jm00866d

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Electrically controlled colour-changing textiles

Alexis Laforgue creates electrically controlled colour-changing textiles suitable for clothing, active visual camouflage or interactive textiles.  

Graphical abstract: Electrically controlled colour-changing textiles using the resistive heating properties of PEDOT nanofibers

 A simple way of fabricating electrochromic textiles was developed by coating thermochromic inks on top of conductive electrospun nanofiber non-woven mats; the colour change is then triggered by the heat generated when applying a current through the mat.

Interested to know more? Read the full article here:

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