Archive for the ‘News’ Category

Colour changing fabrics without weaving

As interest grows in clothes that do more than just keep you warm and preserve your modesty, Canadian scientists are developing non-woven textiles that exhibit a reversible colour change due to resistive heating. 

Traditional fabrics can be improved by giving them another function useful for fashion medical or military applications, explains Alexis Laforgue at the National Research Council Canada Industrial Materials Institute, Boucherville. 

Applying a current causes the material to change colour

Applying a current causes the material to change colour

Substances that change colour when an external stimulus is applied, such as heat) or electricity (know as (thermochromism or electrochromism respectively), can be added to fabrics to give them extra functionality. Laforgue’s new non-woven material is simpler than many of its thermochromic and electrochromic counterparts because the fibres don’t need to be woven through a fabric and the system doesn’t need an electrolyte layer. 

To view the full Highlights in Chemical Technology article, please click here: Colour changing fabrics without weaving

Link to journal article

Electrically controlled colour-changing textiles using the resistive heating properties of PEDOT nanofibers
Alexis Laforgue, J. Mater. Chem., 2010, 20, 8233
DOI:
10.1039/c0jm02307h

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Mimicking nature’s solar cells

US scientists have take inspiration from plants to create a water-based solar cells to convert light into electricity.

Plants efficiently use light to initiate reactions that produce energy in a process known as photosynthesis. Now Orlin Velev and colleagues at North Carolina State University, have created a hydrogel device to mimic this process to create electricity.

Flexible photovoltaic device uses water-based gel to generate electricity from sunlight

Flexible photovoltaic device uses water-based gel to generate electricity from sunlight

The device uses a 98 per cent water hydrogel doped with two photoactive dyes (9,10-dimethoxy-2-anthracenesulfonic acid and ruthenium trisbipyridine).The gel is layered between a copper foil electrode coated with carbon black and graphite and an indium tin oxide-coated plastic substrate serving as the other electrode. The dyes absorb light exciting the electrons into a higher energy state. Transport of the dyes through the hydrogel allows electrons and electron holes to be transferred to the two electrodes completing the circuit and generating a current.

To view the full Highlights in Chemical Science article, please click here: Mimicking nature’s solar cells

Link to journal article

Aqueous soft matter based photovoltaic devices
Hyung-Jun Koo, Suk Tai Chang, Joseph M. Slocik, Rajesh R. Naik and Orlin D. Velev, J. Mater. Chem., 2011
DOI:
10.1039/c0jm01820a

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2011 Journal of Materials Chemistry Lectureship – nominations now open

Call for Nominations!

I am pleased to announce that the 2011 Journal of Materials Chemistry Lectureship is now open for nominations. This annual lectureship honours a scientist who has made a significant contribution to the field of materials chemistry.

Qualification

To be eligible for the Journal of Materials Chemistry Lectureship, the candidate should be in the earlier stages 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.

Description

The recipient of the lectureship will be asked to present a lecture three times, one of which will be located in the home country of the recipient. The Journal of Materials Chemistry Editorial Office will provide the sum of £1000 to the recipient for travel and accommodation costs. The lectureship recipient will be presented with the lectureship certificate at one of the three lectures. They will also be asked to contribute a lead 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 Editorial Board.

The 2010 lectureship was won by Dan Luo, Cornell University, USA.

Nominations

Those wishing to make a nomination should send details of the nominee including a brief C.V. (no longer than 2 pages) together with a letter supporting the nomination (no longer than 2 pages), to the Journal of Materials Chemistry Editorial Office by 18th February 2011. Self nomination is not permitted.

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Nobel Congratulations to Andre Geim and Kostya Novoselov

The 2010 Nobel prize for physics has been awarded to Professors Andre Geim and Kostya Novoselov, both from the University of Manchester, UK.   Andre and Kostya were awarded the prize for ‘ for groundbreaking experiments regarding the two-dimensional material graphene’, including the discovery that stable graphene can be prepared using sticky tape and graphite!

Since their discovery in 2004, research into graphene has grown considerably, and graphene based materials have been shown to have many potential applications, such as for single molecule gas detection, as transistors, for integrated circuits, as conducting electrodes, bio-devices and antibacterial coatings.

From the Journal of Materials Chemistry Editorial Office and Editorial Board, warm congratulations, Andre and Kostya!

Read Journal of Materials Chemistry articles on graphene here.

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Top Ten most-read Journal of Materials Chemistry articles

Read the most-read Journal of Materials Chemistry articles of August 2010, listed below:

Soo-Kang Kim, Bing Yang, Yuguang Ma, Ji-Hoon Lee and Jong-Wook Park, J. Mater. Chem., 2008, 18, 3376-3384
DOI: 10.1039/B805062G
 
Harald Hoppe and Niyazi Serdar Sariciftci, J. Mater. Chem., 2006, 16, 45-61
DOI: 10.1039/B510618B
 
John C. Hulteen and Charles R. Martin, J. Mater. Chem., 1997, 7, 1075-1087
DOI: 10.1039/A700027H
 
Soo-Kang Kim, Young-Il Park, In-Nam Kang and Jong-Wook Park, J. Mater. Chem., 2007, 17, 4670-4678
DOI: 10.1039/B706606F
 
Clément Sanchez, Beatriz Julián, Philippe Belleville and Michael Popall, J. Mater. Chem., 2005, 15, 3559-3592
DOI: 10.1039/B509097K
 
Suijun Liu, Feng He, Huan Wang, Hai Xu, Chunyu Wang, Feng Li and Yuguang Ma, J. Mater. Chem., 2008, 18, 4802-4807
DOI: 10.1039/B807266C
 
Sasha Stankovich, Richard D. Piner, Xinqi Chen, Nianqiang Wu, SonBinh T. Nguyen and Rodney S. Ruoff, J. Mater. Chem., 2006, 16, 155-158
DOI: 10.1039/B512799H
 
Li Li Zhang, Rui Zhou and X. S. Zhao, J. Mater. Chem., 2010, 20, 5983-5992
DOI: 10.1039/C000417K
 
Stéphane Mornet, Sébastien Vasseur, Fabien Grasset and Etienne Duguet, J. Mater. Chem., 2004, 14, 2161-2175
DOI: 10.1039/B402025A
 
Wei-De Zhang, Bin Xu and Liao-Chuan Jiang, J. Mater. Chem., 2010, 20, 6383-6391
DOI: 10.1039/B926341A
To keep up-to-date with all the best materials chemistry research articles, sign up for the journal’s e-alerts here.

 

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Nominations for the 2011 Prizes and Awards are now open

The RSC currently presents around 60 prestigious Prizes and Awards annually to scientists in all the main chemical science disciplines allowing for the greatest range of scientists to be recognised for their work; individuals, teams and organisations working across the globe.

There are nine categories of awards including specific categories for Industry and Education so whether you work in business, industry, research or education recognition is open to everyone. Our Prizes and Awards represent the dedication and outstanding achievements in the chemicals sciences and are a platform to showcase inspiring science to gain the recognition deserved.

Here are just a few of the Prizes and Awards that you may be interested in:

Barrer Award: For meritorious recent pure or applied work in the field of porous inorganic materials

Beilby Medal and Prize: For work of exceptional practical significance in chemical engineering, applied materials science, energy efficiency or a related field

Peter Day Award: For outstanding contributions to, and advancement of, the field of materials chemistry. The award will alternate between those specialising in the broad areas of soft matter and of continuous lattice solids

de Gennes Prize: For outstanding and exceptional work in the field of materials chemistry

Gibson-Fawcett Award: To recognise original and independent contributions to Materials Chemistry

John B Goodenough Award: To recognise exceptional and sustained contributions to the area of materials chemistry

Stephanie L Kwolek Award: To recognise exceptional contributions to the area of Materials Chemistry from a scientist working outside the UK

Materials for Industry – Derek Birchall Award: To reward an individual for creativity and excellence in the application of materials chemistry in industry

Do you know someone who has made a significant contribution to advancing the chemical sciences? View our full list of Prizes and Awards and use the online system to nominate yourself or colleagues.

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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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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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Joanne Thomson finds out what inspires Zhenan Bao to succeed

There’s an interesting interview with Zhenan Bao in Highlights in Chemical Technology. Zhenan Bao is tipped to be one of the great innovators of the 21st century. Joanne Thomson finds out what inspires her to succeed.

You can also read Zhenan Bao’s recent review in Journal of Materials Chemistry on ‘Fused aromatic thienopyrazines: structure, properties and function’.

Graphical abstract: Fused aromatic thienopyrazines: structure, properties and function

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Follow Journal of Materials Chemistry on Twitter

Keep up-to-date with all the latest news from Journal of Materials Chemistry! Follow us at @JMaterChem to find out about our latest Hot Articles, themed issues, papers featured in Chemistry World and the wider scientific press, and much more!

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