Journal of Materials Chemistry Blog

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

Researchers in Taiwan have developed a drug delivery plaster mimicking the wet adhesion of beetle feet.

The micropillar patch sticks to test surfaces and releases anti-inflammatory drugs in a controlled manner. Drug delivery patches are already is use for medical conditions such as Parkinson’s disease and helping people to quit smoking.

Want to know what Daniel Nocera thinks about wirelessly beaming energy from space? Over the coming weekend, the BBC World Service will be broadcasting an episode of The Forum, which was recorded at the RSC’s ISACS12 conference last week entitled “Challenges in Chemical Renewable Energy”.

Quentin Cooper hosts the programme in which Daniel Nocera of Harvard University, Clare Grey of the University of Cambridge, Carlos Henrique de Brito Cruz of the State University of Campinas and Jim Watson of the UK Energy Research Council discuss the work in their areas of expertise and future challenges for renewable energy as a whole.

The programme will be broadcast at 23.06 GMT on Saturday 14^th September, 10.06 GMT on Sunday 15^th September and 2.06 GMT on Monday 16^th September. Find out when this is in your local time at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmeguide/.

It will also be available to listen on the iPlayer shortly after the broadcasts have finished and you will be able to hear it at http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01g94yj.

– Written by Yuandi Li, RSC Science Executive

Researchers in Singapore have shown a peptide in wasp venom could be used to stop bacteria colonising materials implanted in the body.

Our increasing reliance on implantable devices such as catheters and stents, combined with the rapid evolution of antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria has created a challenge for the medical community.

Chemistry World Content Editor Jennifer Newton interviewed Cafer Yavuz from KAIST about his career in Chemistry including his exciting research on materials for carbon dioxide capture.

Read the interview in Chemistry World here.

Read Yavuz’s recent article in Journal of Materials Chemistry:

High capacity carbon dioxide adsorption by inexpensive covalent organic polymers
Hasmukh A. Patel, Ferdi Karadas, Ali Canlier, Joonho Park, Erhan Deniz, Yousung Jung, Mert Atilhan and Cafer T. Yavuz
J. Mater. Chem., 2012,22, 8431-8437
DOI: 10.1039/C2JM30761H