Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Spotlight on a Materials Advances Highly Cited Review Article

“Fluorescent Schiff base sensors as a versatile tool for metal ion detection: strategies, mechanistic insights, and applications”

Materials Advances publishes review articles on topics across materials science, which are open access and free to read. To celebrate our excellent review articles, we asked the authors of some of our most well-received review articles to discuss their work in more detail.

In this post, we share insights from our interview with the authors of the recently published Materials Advances review “Fluorescent Schiff base sensors as a versatile tool for metal ion detection: strategies, mechanistic insights, and applications”.

Insights from the authors of a highly cited Materials Advances review article

What aspect of your research are you most excited about at the moment?

“The exciting aspects of fluorescence Schiff base research lie in its potential applications, such as in sensing and imaging. Understanding how these compounds interact with different environments or molecules opens up opportunities for advancements in various fields, from medicine to materials science. Additionally, exploring novel synthesis methods and improving the efficiency of fluorescence can contribute to the development of innovative technologies.”

What do you find most challenging about your research?

“Fluorescence Schiff base research, while exciting, also presents certain challenges. Some common challenges include:
(i) Synthesis complexity
(ii) Interference from environmental factors such as pH, temperature, and the presence of other organic or inorganic species.
(iii) The real-world application of these techniques often involves complex sample matrices, like biological fluids or environmental samples, which introduces additional challenges.”

What does it mean to you to have a highly cited review article?

“Being acknowledged by colleagues in the same field for one’s work is a rewarding experience for a researcher”

How do you feel about Materials Advances as a place to publish research on this topic?

Materials Advances has established itself as a prestigious journal within the Materials family. The platform it offers is a unique opportunity for researchers to present their latest discoveries in the field of materials science. With its consistently high-quality publications, this journal has evolved into a central hub for the advancement and dissemination of knowledge in materials science.”

What is one piece of career-related advice or wisdom that you would like to share with early career scientists?

“I recommend that early career researchers pinpoint global challenges and research gaps, dedicating their utmost efforts to address them in a meaningful way. Engage in brainstorming sessions, analyzing the What, Why, and How aspects—understand the problem, its underlying reasons, and potential solutions. Persistently pursue your aspirations, surmounting obstacles and challenges, until you can reflect with pride on your journey.”

Meet the authors

Dr Manoj Kumar Goshisht is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Govt. College Tokapal, Bastar, Chhattisgarh, India. He obtained his Master’s Degree from Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology, Hisar, Haryana, and PhD Degree from Dr B. R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar, Punjab, India. He has cleared the National Eligibility Test (CSIR-UGC NET) for Assistant Professor in the subject of Chemical Sciences. He is a winner of the Editors Pick Award of the “9th DST & ACS Workshop” held on 11th August 2021. His research interests include organic chemistry, materials chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, and nanomaterials. He has published various research papers in reputed international peer-reviewed journals of The American Chemical Society, The Royal Society of Chemistry, and Springer Nature. He also has a book in his account published by CRC Press (an imprint of the Taylor & Francis group).

Prof. Goutam Kumar Patra did his Ph.D. from Jadavpur University, under the supervision of Prof. Dipankar Datta at Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata. Then he joined Tel Aviv University, Israel, as a postdoctoral research fellow with Prof. Israel Goldberg (2000–2002). Subsequently he moved to Carnegie Mellon University, USA where he worked with Prof. Catalina Achim. Then he joined as Asst. Prof. in Vijoygarh Jyotish Ray College, Kolkata in December 2003. He visited Max Planck Institute of Bioinorganic Chemistry, Mülheim, Germany as a BOYSCAST fellow during 2006–07 and worked with the then Director, Prof. Karl Wieghardt. He is a Professor in Guru Ghasidas Central University, Bilaspur since 2012. His research interests include chemosensor, redox activity, azamacrocyclic chemistry, crystal engineering, porphyrin and supramolecular chemistry, peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) and free radical chemistry. So far, he has published more than hundred research papers in the journals of national and international repute.

 

Dr. Neetu Tripathi earned her Ph.D. from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, India. She achieved first rank with a Gold medal in M.Sc. Chemistry (Instrumental Analysis) for her master’s degree. Currently, she serves as a Research Associate (RA) at DRDO, Defence Materials and Stores R&D Establishment. During her Ph.D., she received the prestigious INSPIRE fellowship from the Government of India. Dr. Tripathi has successfully cleared the National Eligibility Test (CSIR-UGC NET) for Assistant Professor and the Graduate Aptitude Test (GATE) in the subject of chemical sciences. Her research interests encompass organic chemistry, materials chemistry, supramolecular chemistry, and nanomaterials. She has contributed to various international peer-reviewed journals, including those by the Royal Society of Chemistry, Elsevier, and Springer. Additionally, Dr. Tripathi is an author of a book published by CRC Press, an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group.

We congratulate the authors on their impactful work and wish them success in their future academic research!

 

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Journal of Materials Chemistry A welcomes Professor Sayan Bhattacharyya from Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata, India to their Advisory Board

Journal of Materials Chemistry A is delighted to welcome Professor Sayan Bhattacharyya from Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata, India to their Advisory Board.

Professor Sayan Bhattacharyya, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata, India

Professor Sayan Bhattacharyya is a Professor of Chemical Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata, India. He received his bachelor’s at Calcutta University, and his PhD degree at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, before he carried out his postdoctoral work in the US.

He joined the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata, India in April 2010, and has moved from Assistant Professor, to Professor of Chemical Sciences. His research focus is the design and synthesis of nanoscale functional materials, elucidation of their fundamental electronic, optical and other physical properties, and the development of processes that lead to specific alternative energy solutions.

Here is what he had to say about his appointment to Journal of Materials Chemistry A:

  • What does it mean to you to join the Advisory Board of Journal of Materials Chemistry A?

I am delighted to join the Advisory Board of Journal of Materials Chemistry A, which has set very high standards. Over the years, we have been publishing our research here, and reading high-quality articles by other research groups. The advisory board role will allow me to help the journal make decisions to promote seminal or outstanding scientific findings and influence future research.

  • What is the current biggest challenge you face in your field?

Mankind has to solve the burgeoning problem of climate change, not only in the reaction flask at the laboratory scale but implementing the proven concepts on a societal level for bridging the gap between academia and industry. A systematic approach should be in place to identify and promote the best solutions, published in journals, which are often overlooked.

  • What advances in your field are you most excited about?

I’m most excited about the immense potential of solar and thermal energy for solving the energy and environmental crisis. Secondly, advanced materials design is necessary for successfully replicating or mimicking the complexity and efficiency of natural processes. New inorganic / organic, and hybrid materials design is necessary with an understanding of their structural and electronic characteristics.

  • Why do you feel that researchers should choose to publish their work in Journal of Materials Chemistry A?

Journal of Materials Chemistry A provides an ideal interdisciplinary forum, with a broad range of topics, for publishing the path-breaking, most-read and most-cited research articles. It caters to quality science in the field of energy conversion and storage applications. The editorial board members are very active, and provide rigorous service through peer review to accelerate the dissemination of scientific findings.

  • Where do you see the materials chemistry field in the next 10 years?

I expect a comprehensive integration of materials chemistry into various domains of science and technology, demonstrating its interdisciplinary potential, and underscoring the interconnected nature of scientific advancements. Materials chemistry will play a central role in fields ranging from artificial intelligence and engineering to social sciences, reflecting its broad applications. The central role of materials chemistry can be envisioned through the collaborative efforts of researchers across different branches of science and technology, working towards the societal solutions to energy and environmental challenges.

 

Check out some of Professor Sayan Bhattacharyya’s recent publications in Royal Society of Chemistry journals:

Join us in welcoming Sayan to our Advisory Board!

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Open Call for Submissions: Molecular Photoswitches for Energy storage

Molecular Photoswitches for Energy storage

Open for submissions until 13 December 2024

We are delighted to announce an Open Call for Submissions to a themed collection on Molecular Photoswitches for Energy storage to be published in Journal of Materials Chemistry A and Journal of Materials Chemistry C.

Guest Editors:

Prof. Rachel Evans (University of Cambridge)

Prof. Grace Han (Brandeis University)

Prof. Tao Li (Shanghai Jiao Tong University)

Prof. Dr. Hermann A. Wegner (Justus-Liebig Universität)

Scope:

The necessity to harvest and store energy is one of the greatest challenges of today. The sun represents in this respect the ultimate energy source on earth. The utilization of light as energy input is therefore highly desirable. Molecular photoswitches do exactly that, as they can be switched between two states. Such processes have great potential in energy storage. This special issue celebrates results in all areas covering molecular photoswitches in the broadest sense for energy storage:

Appropriate topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Design, synthesis and characterization of photoswitches
  • Application of photoswitches for energy storage, such as molecular solar thermal energy storage systems
  • Incorporation of photoswitches in devices for energy storage
  • Investigation of diverse triggering methods for energy release (e.g., (electro)catalysis)
  • Phase transitions and latent heat storage-release induced by the photoswitching processes
  • Theoretical screening of photoswitch candidates for improved energy storage

Deadline extended until 13 December 2024

Submissions to the journal should contain chemistry in the context of a material and should fit within the scope of Journal of Materials Chemistry C or Journal of Materials Chemistry A. Please see the journal’s page for more information on the journal’s scope, standards, article types and author guidelines.

This call for papers is open for the following article types:

  • Communications
  • Full papers

If you would like to contribute to this themed collection, you can submit your article directly to the online submission system for Journal of Materials Chemistry C or Journal of Materials Chemistry A. Please mention that this submission is a contribution to the Molecular Photoswitches for Energy storage in the “Themed issues” section of the submission form and add a “Note to the Editor” that this is from the Open Call.

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Collection Celebrating the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine: mRNA vaccines against COVID-19

We are delighted to share a cross-journal themed collection on mRNA vaccines against COVID-19, celebrating the 2023 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman were jointly awarded a Nobel Prize “for their discoveries concerning nucleoside base modifications that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against COVID-19.” Royal Society of Chemistry journals congratulate both Nobel Laureates.

Understanding mRNA’s interaction with the immune system had a crucial role in accelerating vaccine development during one of the most significant health crises in contemporary history. This collection highlights recent advancements in mRNA technologies for vaccine development, covering mRNA delivery strategies, biomaterials, nanoparticles, and click chemistry.

Read the collection here.

A selection of articles from the collection is included below. All articles are free to access until 17th November. All Open Access journal articles are always free to access. We hope you will enjoy reading the articles in this themed collection. Please do share this collection with your colleagues and networks.

Reviews

A comprehensive overview of vaccines developed for pandemic viral pathogens over the past two decades including those in clinical trials for the current novel SARS-CoV-2

Kannan Damodharan, Gandarvakottai Senthilkumar Arumugam, Suresh Ganesan, Mukesh Doble and Sathiah Thennarasu

RSC Adv., 2021, 11, 20006-20035 DOI: 10.1039/D0RA09668G

 

Emerging mRNA technologies: delivery strategies and biomedical applications

Yufen Xiao, Zhongmin Tang, Xiangang Huang, Wei Chen, Jun Zhou, Haijun Liu, Chuang Liu, Na Kong and Wei Tao

Chem. Soc. Rev., 2022, 51, 3828-3845 DOI: 10.1039/D1CS00617G

 

Lipid-based colloidal nanoparticles for applications in targeted vaccine delivery

Muhammad Saad Khan, Sila Appak Baskoy, Celina Yang, Joohye Hong, Jayoung Chae, Heejin Ha, Sungjun Lee, Masayoshi Tanaka, Yonghyun Choi and Jonghoon Choi

Nanoscale Adv., 2023, 5, 1853-1869 DOI: 10.1039/D2NA00795A

 

Articles

A PEG-lipid-free COVID-19 mRNA vaccine triggers robust immune responses in mice

Min Li, Yixuan Huang, Jiacai Wu, Sanpeng Li, Miao Mei, Haixia Chen, Ning Wang, Weigang Wu, Boping Zhou, Xu Tan and Bin Li

Mater. Horiz., 2023, 10, 466-472 DOI: 10.1039/D2MH01260J

 

Towards mRNA with superior translational activity: synthesis and properties of ARCA tetraphosphates with single phosphorothioate modifications

Malwina Strenkowska, Joanna Kowalska, Maciej Lukaszewicz, Joanna Zuberek, Wei Su, Robert E. Rhoads, Edward Darzynkiewicz and Jacek Jemielity

New J. Chem., 2010, 34, 993-1007 DOI: 10.1039/B9NJ00644C

 

Development of a high-throughput platform for screening lipid nanoparticles for mRNA delivery

Lili Cui, Sara Pereira, Silvia Sonzini, Sally van Pelt, Steven M. Romanelli, Lihuan Liang, David Ulkoski, Venkata R. Krishnamurthy, Emily Brannigan, Christopher Brankin and Arpan S. Desai

Nanoscale, 2022, 14, 1480-1491 DOI: 10.1039/D1NR06858J

 

Enhanced immunogenicity induced by mRNA vaccines with various lipid nanoparticles as carriers for SARS-CoV-2 infection

Yanhao Zhang, Ji Wang, Hanlei Xing, Chao Liu, Wenhui Zha, Shuo Dong, Yuhao Jiang and Xinsong Li

J. Mater. Chem. B, 2023,11, 7454-7465 DOI: 10.1039/D3TB00303E

 

mRNA-carrying lipid nanoparticles that induce lysosomal rupture activate NLRP3 inflammasome and reduce mRNA transfection efficiency

James Forster III, Dipika Nandi and Ashish Kulkarni

Biomater. Sci., 2022, 10, 5566-5582 DOI: 10.1039/D2BM00883A

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Congratulations to our Poster Prize winner at Fall E-MRS 2023: Symposium C

Journal of Materials Chemistry C, was pleased to sponsor a poster prize at the ‘Perovskites: from materials science to devices’ Symposium at Fall E-MRS 2023.

Congratulations to Sandeep Kumar Gundam!

For the poster titled: Spectrally stable pure blue-emitting perovskite nanocrystal thin films for light-emitting diodes

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Insights from the authors of a highly cited Materials Advances article

Nanomaterials: a review of synthesis methods, properties, recent progress, and challenges has been one of the most highly cited articles published in Materials Advances so far. The authors have recently answered our questions, and in this blog, we are sharing the insights from our interview with them. We congratulate the authors on their impactful work and wish them success in their future academic research.

 

  • What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment?

Access to clean water is a growing global issue. A recent report by UNESCO reveals that 2 billion individuals do not have access to safe drinking water. Furthermore, the region where we reside (Saudi Arabia) has already declared a water-stress region. We are designing advanced membranes for desalination and water reuse, which may contribute to meeting global and regional demand in the future. Our research group is developing next-generation membranes using 2D materials. The 2D materials we use can be divided into two classes specifically for membrane applications. The first class has ordered pores, such as COFs and 2D MOFs, whereas the other type is intrinsically non-porous, such as graphene, MXenes, and TMDs. Our research group is working on tuning the interlayer distance of the non-porous 2D sheets to control the permeability and selectivity of these membranes according to the desired applications. We believe that the tunability of the 2D membranes makes them unique compared to the state-of-the-art commercialized polymeric membranes.

  • What do you find most challenging about your research?

Fouling remains a significant challenge in the implementation of membrane-based technology. Therefore, most of the industries still have not adopted membrane-based technology. 2D materials-based membranes look promising at the lab scale to develop antifouling membranes, but their processability and scalability would be challenging. Our research group is currently working on a lab scale at IRC-Membranes Water Security, KFUPM, but we are planning and working to bring them from the lab scale to the market.

  • What does it mean to you to have a highly cited article?

It is a gratifying experience for a researcher to receive recognition for his work from their peers in the same field.

  • How do you feel about Materials Advances as a place to publish research on this topic?

Materials Advances has emerged as a prestigious journal of the Materials family. Material Advances platform provides a distinctive opportunity for researchers to publish their latest findings in materials science. Due to its high-quality publications, this journal has become a hub of material science progress and knowledge.

  • Can you share one piece of career-related advice or wisdom with other early career scientists?

I advise early career researchers to identify global problems and research gaps and put their best efforts into solving them to become impactful. Do the brainstorming by What, why, and how. What is the problem, why is it, and how can it be solved? Keep pushing towards your goals and dreams, overcoming obstacles and challenges, until you can look back proudly on your journey.

Meet the authors

Dr Nadeem Baig is a Research Scientist III (Assistant Professor) at IRC-Membrane and Water Security, KFUPM. He obtained his BS (Hons.) from the University of the Punjab in 2008 and his MPhil from the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore in 2012. He obtained his Ph.D. from KFUPM, Saudi Arabia, in 2017. Dr Baig joined the Center of Research Excellence in Desalination & Water Treatment at KFUPM in 2020 after working as a two-year postdoctoral researcher. His research is focused on developing next-generation membranes utilizing 2D materials, including graphene, MXene, TMDs, 2D MOFs, and COFs for oil/water separation, desalination, water reuse, and recovering precious metals. His interests also include developing nanostructured materials and super-selective surfaces for energy and environmental applications. He has received several distinguished awards. So far, Dr Baig has obtained 10 US patents. Dr Baig received the prestigious Early Career Research Award at KFUPM in 2022. His name was also included among the top 2% of scientists worldwide in the discipline of Chemistry.

 

Dr Irshad Kammakakam is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan. Dr Kammakakam received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Incheon National University, South Korea. His research focused on developing advanced organic porous materials and functional polymeric membranes for energy-saving separation technology and environmental green energy applications. Before joining Nazarbayev University, Dr Kammakakam was a Research Scientist at the Advanced Materials Chemistry Center, Khalifa University, UAE. He also worked as a Visiting Scientist at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (South Korea). He completed multiple Postdocs at the European Institute of Membranes (France), the University of Alabama (USA), and the KAUST (Saudi Arabia). Dr Kammakakam broadly works to design and synthesize ionic polymers for molecular separation membranes and energy storage applications. Dr Kammakakam has bagged many awards and achievements, including the recipient of the 2020 Future Faculty Mentoring Program sponsored by the EdDiv of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

 

 

 

Dr Wail Sulaiman Falath is the Dean of the College of General Studies and an Assistant Professor at the Materials Science and Engineering Department of King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals. Dr Falath has a Ph.D. degree in Polymers, Textiles, and Fibers Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, USA. His Ph.D. was related to fabricating polymeric mixed matrix membranes for Reverse Osmosis water desalination. Dr Falath’s research is focused on the environment, synthesis of membranes for water desalination, and surface modifications and characterization of several materials.

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Celebrating materials science in Germany

New region spotlight in Materials Advances

Over the years, Materials Advances has published quality research across the breadth of materials science and our German authors and readers remain a core part of the journal community.

To showcase some of the great research being carried out in the country we have selected some of the most popular articles from authors across Germany. A small selection are highlighted in this blog post, but click the button below to read the full collection. All articles are gold open access so they are free to read.

 

 

Redox-active, porous pyrene tetraone dendritic polymers as cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries
Lucas Ueberricke, Felix Mildner, Yuquan Wu, Elisa Thauer, Tom Wickenhäuser, Wen-Shan Zhang, Yana Vaynzof, Sven M. Elbert, Rasmus R. Schröder, Rüdiger Klingeler and Michael Mastalerz
Mater. Adv., 2023, 4, 1604-1611

Research output software for energetic materials based on observational modelling 2.1 (RoseBoom2.1 (c))
Sabrina Wahler and Thomas M. Klapötke
Mater. Adv., 2022, 3, 7976-7986

Stimuli-responsive one-dimensional photonic crystals: design, fabrication and sensing
Marie Däntl, Alberto Jiménez-Solano and Bettina V. Lotsch
Mater. Adv., 2022, 3, 7406-7424

 

Materials Advances is pleased to have some prominent members of the materials science community acting as Associate Editors and as Advisory Board Members:

  • Miriam Unterlass (University of Konstanz)
  • Yana Vaynzof (Technical University of Dresden)
  • Helmut Cölfen (University of Konstanz)
  • Xinliang Feng (Technical University of Dresden)
  • Anna Köhler (University of Bayreuth)
  • Ulrike Kramm (TU Darmstadt)
  • Bettina Lotsch (Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Stuttgart)
  • Patrick Théato (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology)

 

The Royal Society of Chemistry has arranged Read and Publish agreements with many German institutes. As part of these agreements you may be entitled to publish your research gold open access at no cost. Get in touch to find out more and find out if your institute is covered here.

Thank you again to all for your support and looking forward to the exciting milestones ahead for Materials Advances!

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Themed Collection in Materials Advances: Advanced functional materials and manufacturing processes

Advanced functional materials and manufacturing processes

Guest edited by Jessica O. Winter, Jawwad A. Darr and John Wang

Materials Advances is delighted to introduce our latest themed collection on the latest developments in advanced inorganic functional materials (synthesis, modelling and simulation), novel manufacturing processes including scale up approaches, and property evaluation and optimization.

You can explore the collection and read the introductory editorial from our guest editors below. Articles in the collection are published in Materials Advances so they are all open access and freely available.

Read the collection

Promotional graphic of Materials Advances themed collection on Advanced functional materials and manufacturing, with photos of authors Jessica O. Winter, Jawwad A. Darr and John Wang included, from left to right.

Read the introductory editorial

Read some of the featured articles below.

Synthesis, structure and electrochemical properties of a new cation ordered layered Li–Ni–Mg–Mo oxide
Bo Dong, Javier Castells-Gil, Pengcheng Zhu, Laura L. Driscoll, Emma Kendrick, Phoebe K. Allan and Peter R. Slater
Mater. Adv., 2023, 4, 1021-1029 DOI: 10.1039/d2ma00981a

Recent advancement in nanomaterial-encapsulated drug delivery vehicles for combating cancer, COVID-19, and HIV-like chronic diseases
Suparna Paul, Subhajit Mukherjee and Priyabrata Banerjee
Mater. Adv., 2023, 4, 2042-2061 DOI: 10.1039/d2ma01075e

Additively manufactured thermosetting elastomer composites: small changes in resin formulation lead to large changes in mechanical and viscoelastic properties
Ye Wang, Ian M. McAninch, Antoine P. Delarue, Christopher J. Hansen, E. Jason Robinette and Amy M. Peterson
Mater. Adv., 2023, 4, 607-615 DOI: 10.1039/d2ma00892k

Materials Advances is always interested in considering high-quality articles on advanced functional materials and their manufacturing processes and we would be delighted if you would consider the journals for your next submission, which can be made via the Materials Advances online submission service. All submissions will be subject to initial assessment and peer review as appropriate according to the journals’ guidelines.

We hope you enjoy reading this collection and we look forward to seeing how this field progresses! Please continue to submit your exciting work on advanced functional materials to Materials Advances.

Do you have an idea for our next themed collection? Suggest a topic using our online form.

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Industry Spotlight: Next-generation materials to meet the ever-changing specifications of the consumer electronics evolution

A headshot of Juliane HefelResponses provided by Juliane Hefel, PPG general manager of specialty coatings & materials and Janice Mahon, Universal Display Corporation (UDC), senior vice president of technology commercialization and general manager, Commercial Sales Business. 

 

What relevance does this industry have to the readers of Materials Advances

Both: Complex small molecule organic and organometallic materials manufacturing holds immense relevance for researchers, particularly concerning the advances organic chemistry has made in the electronics industry and its potential to transform our daily lives.

Through the years, organic molecules have evolved to play an increasingly crucial role in enabling miniaturization and enhancing connectivity of electronics, such as OLEDs, organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs), and organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), and other industries that rely on material science.

OLEDs and other small organic molecule-based devices can be lightweight and flexible, enabling ultra-thin, bendable, and lightweight electronic products, including wearable devices, flexible displays, and electronic textiles.

One of the most significant advantages of small molecule organic materials in electronics is its sustainability as they can be developed to be incredibly energy efficient, potentially reducing the reliance on fossil fuels and minimizing environmental impact.

The interdisciplinary nature of materials science opens up exciting opportunities. From the lab to the plant, researchers and scientists working in the OLED industry, and manufacturing sector in general, collaborate in the design of disruptive advancements that create next-generation materials. With the potential to reshape the future of electronics and contribute to a more sustainable world, organic molecule manufacturing in general presents an exciting and impactful avenue in the field of chemistry and a doorway to diverse and high-tech career paths

 

What are your roles at PPG and UDC, respectively?

Juliane: I’m the general manager of PPG’s Specialty Coatings and Materials business. In my role, I deliver strategic and operational leadership to the business which creates solutions that enhance the surfaces and materials critical in our daily lives. Our products help secure the personal information in passports and ID cards to combat fraud, make our car tires safer and more fuel-efficient, and provide monomers, coatings and photochromic dyes in eyeglass lenses that improve and enhance your vision. We also produce energy-efficient organic light-emitting diode (OLED) materials to create the vibrant images you see on your TV, smartphone and other consumer electronics through our partnership with Universal Display Corporation (UDC). Together, we married UDC’s innovative technologies and materials with PPG’s expertise with ultra-high-purity organic material manufacturing, leading to breakthroughs in the high-efficiency phosphorescent OLEDs that fuel the display industry.

Janice: I’m the senior vice president of Technology Commercialization and general manager of Commercial Sales Business at Universal Display Corporation. I lead the transition of our high-performing, energy-efficient phosphorescent OLED (PHOLED) materials from our R&D labs in Ewing, New Jersey to the worldwide commercial market. I’m responsible for the manufacture, quality assurance and delivery of UDC’s PHOLED materials to the world’s leading display and lighting panel makers. It has been more than 20 years since I helped form the successful partnership between UDC and PPG. Through these two-plus decades, PPG and UDC have established robust systems that drive efficiency, reliability, and customer satisfaction. This unwavering commitment to assured supply and quality are critical to our strong leadership position in the OLED ecosystem.

 

What aspect of your work are you most excited about now and what do you find most challenging?

Both: Keeping up with the speed of electronic evolution presents an exciting opportunity as we look to the future. As consumer electronics technology and requirements evolve, so must our production of OLED emitters. The development of new and next-generation devices moves fast, and it takes agility and ingenuity to keep pace.

The equipment used to produce and test the products, combined with PPG and UDC’s 20-plus years of know-how, allows both companies to offer next-generation products smartly and respond to customer requests rapidly. Through this collaboration and as we experience the quick pace of product evolution in consumer electronics, PPG and UDC look forward to product launches that deliver increasingly sustainable manufacturing practices.

We’re also excited about the real power savings advantages that phosphorescent OLED technology offers. When used in smartphones, PHOLED materials are estimated to save more than 860,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent each year. Based on EPA’s calculator, this is comparable to the carbon sequestered by more than 14 million tree seedlings grown for ten years.

In May, PPG and UDC officially opened a new state-of-the-art OLED manufacturing facility in Shannon, Ireland. The site is expected to double the production capacity and diversify the worldwide manufacturing footprint for UDC’s energy-efficient phosphorescent OLED emissive materials to support the rapidly growing consumer electronics and display marketplaces.

Increasing global capacity through retrofitting an existing manufacturing plant in Shannon, we were able to pivot quickly to meet increasing customer needs now and into the future.

 

How are the materials specifications evolving in consumer electronics?

Both: UDC’s phosphorescent OLED molecules are designed to convert electricity to photons of light efficiently. Like with semiconductors, there is a requirement for extreme purity to ensure optimal function of the compound in an OLED device.

Agility is another must, as consumer electronic specifications continue to evolve. We must adopt the latest technology to make materials and monitor quality. Our focus on increasing sustainability of our manufacturing processes along with changing policies and restrictions also require innovative approaches. Flexibility is necessary to meet the exacting requirements as they continue to shift.

 

What do you see as the next big challenge to overcome in the area? (both from the consumer electronics and high-purity large scale manufacturing)

Juliane: We work with our customers and suppliers to solve problems with each new material and collaborate with partners as a key to success. From a manufacturing standpoint, we continuously evaluate how best to stay ahead of quickly changing customer requirements and needs.

With UDC, we’re actively delivering leading-edge phosphorescent PHOLED materials with leading-edge quality. Like pharmaceuticals, manufacturing phosphorescent emitters for OLEDs is a complex process to get to the precise purity level needed for materials that ultimately convert electricity into light.

Identifying and creating an environment to effectively manufacture this material requires extensive technical manufacturing know-how and will face continual evolution.

Janice: The evolution of consumer electronics continues at a rapid pace, driven by ongoing technological breakthroughs and changing consumer expectations. Our team of scientists, engineers and technicians are continuously discovering, developing and delivering next-generation phosphorescent OLED materials to meet the ever-changing and ever-evolving specifications for energy efficiency, operational lifetime and color gamut. Quickly scaling these materials from lab to high volume commercial market quantities and quality can be challenging, however, PPG and UDC’s long-standing commitment to excellence, cost-effectiveness and delivery reinforces our position as a trusted partner to the OLED industry.

 

Can you share one piece of career-related advice for early career scientists?

Juliane: Be transparent and hold yourself and others accountable for making progress and reaching goals. This builds trust in you as individual, as team player and your capabilities. I can’t emphasize enough the value of teamwork in accountability. Collective decision-making and goal agreement allows for bolder choices and calculated risk-taking.

I also always encourage a mindset that embraces change. Tap into others who also welcome change to create a multiplier effect. This type of engagement is key to developing the future. When we understand and anticipate the needs of partners and customers, we can accelerate change and becoming future-ready solution creators. With the integration of advanced technology like AI becoming increasingly important in the world, scientists should be ready for changing challenges.

Janice: Prioritize integrity in your actions and decisions, as it fosters strong relationships, inspires trust, and establishes a reputation of consistent and dependable character that will benefit your career in the long run. UDC’s core value of integrity has created a corporate culture that thrives, takes risks, and innovates. It has also been critical in establishing and solidifying our long-standing partnerships and reinforcing our position as a pioneering leader in the OLED ecosystem. In both personal and professional settings, integrity and trust are crucial for establishing credibility, cultivating healthy relationships, and achieving shared goals.

 

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Editor’s Choice Collection: Kaushik Chatterjee

Meet our Associate Editor, Professor Kaushik Chatterjee

We are delighted to announce that for the first time we have Associate Editors from India on all three Journal of Materials Chemistry editorial boards. To celebrate our fantastic Associate Editors and our wider Indian community of authors and readers, we would like to introduce our new Associate Editor for Journal of Materials Chemistry B and Materials Advances, Kaushik Chatterjee.

To celebrate his appointment to our editorial boards, Professor Chatterjee has curated an Editor’s Choice collection. The collection brings together Professor Chatterjee’s favourite papers and reviews that have been published in Journal of Materials Chemistry B and Materials Advances so far in 2023.

 

 

Associate Editor Spotlight: Kaushik Chatterjee

 

Prof. Kaushik Chatterjee obtained a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the Pennsylvania State University. He pursued his postdoctoral fellowship jointly at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), supported by a Research Associateship from the US National Research Council. He joined the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore in 2011 as an Assistant Professor. He is currently a Professor in the Department of Materials Engineering and the Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering.

His research interests lie in developing and processing materials for biomedical applications. Specifically, his group focuses on scaffolds for tissue engineering, engineering organotypic tissue models, metallic biomaterials for medical implants, additive manufacturing, 3D printing, and bioprinting.

 

 

A selection of articles included in Professor Chatterjee’s collection can be found below:

Evaluating glioblastoma tumour sphere growth and migration in interaction with astrocytes using 3D collagen-hyaluronic acid hydrogels
Yixiao Cui, Paul Lee, Jesse J. Reardon, Anna Wang, Skylar Lynch, Jose J. Otero, Gina Sizemore and Jessica O. Winter
J. Mater. Chem. B, 2023, 11, 5442-5459 DOI: 10.1039/D3TB00066D

Differentiation of snake venom using Raman spectroscopic analysis
Vera Mozhaeva, Vladislav Starkov, Denis Kudryavtsev, Kirill Prokhorov, Sergey Garnova and Yuri Utkin
J. Mater. Chem. B, 2023, 11, 6435-6442 DOI: 10.1039/D3TB00829K

Functionalization of cellulose nanofibrils to develop novel ROS-sensitive biomaterials
Carlos Palo-Nieto, Anna Blasi-Romero, Corine Sandström, David Balgoma, Mikael Hedeland, Maria Strømmea and Natalia Ferraz
Mater. Adv., 2023, 4, 1555-1565 DOI: 10.1039/D2MA01056A

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