Journal of Materials Chemistry Blog

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Scientists in Belgium have discovered how to make metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) from waste plastic bottles.

MOFs are porous polymers that excel in a range of applications from gas storage to catalysis and sensing. Scientists usually make MOFs from high purity chemicals, which are expensive and generate huge amounts of waste during their production. To produce MOFs on a large scale, researchers must find more environmentally friendly production methods and easily available source materials.

Interested? The full article can be read in Chemistry World.

The original article can be read below:

Waste PET (bottles) as a resource or substrate for MOF synthesis
Willem P. R. Deleu, Ivo Stassen, Dries Jonckheere, Rob Ameloot and Dirk E. De Vos*
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2016, 4, 9519-9525
DOI: 10.1039/C6TA02381A

Researchers in the UK are developing a chemical method to remove or prevent abnormal bone growths in the soft tissue of amputees. They hope the technique will limit additional surgery for seriously injured soldiers.

These 3D models show heterotopic ossification samples before (A) and after (B) treatment with hexametaphosphate

Heterotopic ossification, where a massive inflammatory response causes bone to form within soft tissues, is common in amputees and prevalent amongst combat-injured military personnel. Current treatments targeting the biological pathways involved are limited and surgery is often required to remove the bony growths and ease pain. Now, scientists at the University of Birmingham, including PhD researcher Neil Eisenstein who is also a trauma surgeon in the British Army, are investigating a chemical demineralisation approach using hexametaphosphate as a non-surgical treatment for this debilitating condition.

The full story can be read in Chemistry World.

The original article can be read below and is free to access until 23^rd June 2016:

Enzymatically regulated demineralisation of pathological bone using sodium hexametaphosphate
Neil Eisenstein, Richard Williams, Sophie Cox, Sarah Stapley and Liam Grover*
J. Mater. Chem. B, 2016, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C6TB00461J

Take a look at the Journal of Materials Chemistry A themed issue highlighting 2016’s rising stars of materials chemistry research. This Emerging Investigators themed issue gathers the very best work from materials chemists in the early stages of their independent career, with a special focus on novel design strategies for new functional materials.

Each contributor was recommended by our prestigious Editorial Board as carrying out work with the potential to influence future directions in materials chemistry. Congratulations to all of those who feature on their important work so far in the field of materials for energy and sustainability.

Read through a few papers which have been selected from the issue below. The full issue can be read here.

Read more »

Researchers in China have developed capsules for use in bandages that can store antibacterials and control their activity, aiding in the fight against antimicrobial resistance.

Bacterial strains resilient towards multiple drugs are an increasingly common and dangerous part of the 21st century. With repercussions global in scale, innovative devices are needed that deliver antibacterial agents precisely and instantly so bacteria cannot adapt.

The full story can be read in Chemistry World.

The original article can be read below and is free to access until the 31^st May 2016.:

The first visually observable three-mode antibiotic switch and its relative 3D printing assisted applications
Miaoxing Liu, Fang Fang, Xiangwei Song, Fen Yu, Fengshun Li, Xiaotong Shi, Chaowen Xue, Tingtao Chen and Xiaolei Wang*
J. Mater. Chem. B, 2016, 4, 2544-2547
DOI: 10.1039/C6TB00576D