Journal of Materials Chemistry A, B and C Issue 1’s now online

The first issues of the newly formed Journal of Materials Chemistry A, B and C have been published online! Each journal showcases high impact research you expect from Journal of Materials Chemistry, now in three separate journals. For more information, please go to http://rsc.li/jmc-abc.

Journal of Materials Chemistry A features articles on the following:

Multifunctionality in metal@microgel colloidal nanocomposites, Jorge Pérez-Juste and Luis M. Liz-Marzán et al.: This Highlight describes recent developments related to hybrid nanocomposites comprising a metal core and a smart microgel shell.

Naturally occurring iron oxide nanoparticles: morphology, surface chemistry and environmental stability, Haibo Guo and Amanda S. Barnard : There is much to be learned from the simple and effective materials chemistry of naturally occurring nanomaterials.

Aluminum-stabilized NASICON-structured Li3V2(PO4)3, John B. Goodenough et al.: The redox couple, V4+/V3+, exhibits a potential of 3.76 V in NASICON-structured Li3Al0.1V1.9(PO4)3, which is suitable for a cathode material of a lithium-ion battery.

Importance of small micropores in CO2 capture by phenolic resin-based activated carbon spheres, Nilantha P. Wickramaratne and Mietek Jaroniec: Phenolic resin-based carbon spheres obtained by a slightly modified Stöber method are shown to be superior CO2 adsorbents.

Journal of Materials Chemistry B features articles on the following:

Biomimetic intracellular matrix (ICM) materials, properties and functions. Full integration of actuators and sensors, Toribio F. Otero and Jose G. Martinez: The electrochemistry of conducting polymers, and other organic compounds, originates biomimetic (intracellular matrix, ICM, reactive gels) materials, properties and devices here reviewed.

Cellular uptake and gene delivery using layered double hydroxide nanoparticles, Jun Lu, David G. Evans and Dermot O’Hare: The cellular uptake of fluorescein labelled 20 nm LDH nanoparticles into NSC 34 cells as a function of LDH particle concentration and incubation time was studied. The 20 nm LDH nanoparticles can also act as a DNA delivery agent to NSC 34 cell nuclei.

Biocompatible reduction-responsive polypeptide micelles as nanocarriers for enhanced chemotherapy efficacy in vitro, Xuesi Chen et al.: Biocompatible reduction-responsive micelles of disulfide-linked methoxyl poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(ε-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-lysine) block copolymers were developed for efficient intracellular drug delivery.

Theoretical understanding of single-stranded DNA assisted dispersion of graphene, Swapan K. Pati et al.: Using atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, we investigate the structure and energetic of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) assisted solubilisation of single-layer graphene in aqueous medium at room temperature.

Journal of Materials Chemistry C features articles on the following:

Pyroelectric and electrocaloric materials, Q. M. Zhang et al.: This review summarizes typical properties of electrocaloric and pyroelectric materials and discusses related phenomena, and examines the relationship between these effects.

Graphenylene, a unique two-dimensional carbon network with nondelocalized cyclohexatriene units, Klaus Müllen and Linjie Zhi et al.: The unique structure and properties of a new hypothetical two-dimensional sp2-carbon network which is called graphenylene, have been predicted.

A deep-blue emitting charged bis-cyclometallated iridium(III) complex for light-emitting electrochemical cells, Wiebke Sarfert, Enrique Ortí, Michael Grätzel and Etienne Baranoff et al.: A cationic iridium(III) complex based on 2′,6′-difluoro-2,3′-bipyridine shows deep-blue emission in a concentrated film and is used in light-emitting electrochemical cells.

The design and investigation of porphyrins with liquid crystal properties at room temperature, Ross W. Boyle and Georg H. Mehl et al.: Porphyrins linked via hydrocarbon and siloxane spacers to cyanobiphenyls exhibit semectic LC behaviour at room temperature, confirmed by OPM, DSC and XRD.

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Poster prize winners at the 2012 International Symposium on Stimuli-Responsive Materials

Congratulations to the poster prize winners at the 2012 International Symposium on Stimuli-Responsive Materials! The three winners were chosen by an independent panel and they are: Young-Jin Kim (University of Tsukuba), Heather A. Pearson (University of Southern Mississippi) and William L. A. Brooks (University of Florida).

From left to right: Young-Jin Kim, Heather A. Pearson and William L. A. Brooks

Journal of Materials Chemistry Best Poster Award Winner: Young-Jin Kim from Takao Aoyagi’s group
“‘On-Off’ Switchable Drug Release Platform Using Temperature-Responsive Smart Nanofiber”

Soft Matter Best Poster Award Winner: Heather A. Pearson from Marek Urban’s group
“Switchable Polyelectrolyte Tethers on Polymeric Substrates: A New Platform for Covalent Attachment of Multilayers (CAM) with Responsive Bioactive Components”

Polymer Chemistry Best Poster Award Winner:
William L. A. Brooks from Brent Sumerlin’s group
“Accelerated Synthesis of Responsive Polymers by Microwave-Assisted RAFT Polymerization”

The 2012 International Symposium on Stimuli-Responsive Materials was held October 21 – 23 2012 at the Hilton Sonoma Wine Country in Santa Rosa, CA. The symposium covered the design, synthesis, characterization, and understanding of the physical, chemical, and applied principles of stimuli-responsive materials and devices.

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Here’s to the future, J. Mater. Chem. Editorial

The collage of cover images were chosen by editorial staff from previous front cover images of Journal of Materials Chemistry

The last issue of Journal of Materials Chemistry in its current form has been published online this week. Editor Dr Liz Dunn and Chair of the Editorial Board Professor Seth Marder give their thoughts on the past 22 years of Journal of Materials Chemistry and the exciting future of the journal in their Editorial ‘Here’s to the future‘.

Next week, the issue 1’s of the three new journals replacing Journal of Materials Chemistry will be published online. Each journal will focus on an area of the field as follows:

Journal of Materials Chemistry A – Materials for energy and sustainability

Journal of Materials Chemistry B – Materials for biology and medicine

Journal of Materials Chemistry C – Materials for optical and electronic devices

We will shortly be announcing the board members of the new journals, so stay tuned!

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The Chemistry of Photonic Crystals and Metamaterials: Call for papers!

Journal of Materials Chemistry C is planning to produce a themed issue on ‘The chemistry of photonic crystals and metamaterials’ in 2013. The Guest Editors of the issue will be Professors Yadong Yin (University of California, Riverside, USA) and Jianping Ge (Tongji University, China).

Photonic crystals and metamaterials are gaining increasing interest due to their important potential applications.  Many novel optical materials have been developed by manipulating the diffraction, refraction, and electronic resonances such as plasmons through controlling the interaction between light and dielectric and metallic nanostructures.  This themed issue will broadly cover the chemistry aspects of photonic crystals and metamaterials including their synthesis and fabrication through chemical approaches, self-assembly, characterization, and niche applications.

Interested in submitting an article? Please get in touch by 31 December 2012: MaterialsC-rsc@rsc.org.

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Hot paper: Improvement in efficiency of water/iodide dye sensitised cells to 4%

Dye-Sensitised Solar Cells (DSSCs) are a promising alternative to silicon-based photovoltaics and recently efficiencies over 12 % have been reported. Most DSSCs use organic solvents as liquid electrolyte as these have been reported to give the highest efficiencies. In this hot paper, O’Regan and co-workers have re-examined water as a solvent for use in DSSCs. In this study the authors use 100 % water electrolytes with inorganic salts such as NaI. They use a range of electrolyte compositions, film characteristics and four different dyes to show efficiencies of up to 4 %.

Managing wetting behavior and collection efficiency in photoelectrochemical devices based on water electrolytes; improvement in efficiency of water/iodide dye sensitised cells to 4%
J. Mater.  Chem., 2012, 22, 23387.  DOI: 10.1039/c2jm35245a
(free to read for a short time)

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11th International Conference on Materials Chemistry (MC11) – oral abstract deadline Friday 7 December

Submit an oral abstract for The 11th International Conference on Materials Chemistry (MC11), the flagship event of the RSC’s Materials Chemistry Division – deadline Friday 7th December.

This cutting edge international research conference is organised around four exciting and diverse areas of the application of materials chemistry:

  • Energy Materials – including all aspects of Materials Chemistry related to energy generation, conversion and storage.
  • Environmental Materials – the design, synthesis and applications of materials that facilitate processes to provide a sustainable environment.
  • Biomaterials – materials for tissue engineering and healthcare, green biomaterials and advanced synthesis methods of biomaterials.
  • Electronic, Magnetic and Optical Materials – encompassing inorganic, organic, hybrid and nano materials, soft matter and interfaces.

Why take part in MC11?

There are over 100 opportunities for oral presentations over four parallel sessions. So you can share your own research with the more than 400 expected participants during the four-day event. There will also be plenty of opportunity for discussion during poster session receptions, lunches and coffee breaks, all taking place in the dedicated conference centre.

If you take part in this conference you will have the benefit of hearing and networking with an excellent line-up of plenary and keynote speakers, all experts in their fields.

All academic and industrial scientists working on the chemistry, physics and materials science of functional materials, including students, are encouraged to be there. Visit www.rsc.org/mc11 for full details.

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Hot paper: Topotactic synthesis of layered double hydroxide nanorods

Layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are a family of layered materials with composition [M1-xz+Mx3+(OH)2]a+(Xn)a/n.mH2O. LiAl-X LDHs are a class of LDHs that have been extensively investigated due to their many applications as absorbents or in photochemistry. They can be synthesised in two ways; direct intercalation by treatment of gibbsite, bayerite or nördstrandite and hydrothermal treatment of a hydrated alumina gel with LiOH.

In this hot paper, The O’Hare group at the University of Oxford describe the first topotactic synthesis of rod-like LDH particles through that simultaneous intercalation of Li+ cations and X anions (X = Cl, and Br). Nanorods of LiAl-X were synthesised by intercalation of LiX into a rod-like morphology of gibbsite. The authors find that LiAl-X-rod can undergo further anion exchange intercalation with cyclamate into LiAl-Cl-rod.

Topotactic synthesis of layered double hydroxide nanorods
J. Mater. Chem., 2012, 22, 23064.  DOI: 10.1039/c2jm34670b
(free to read for a short time)

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Helping good bacteria reach their target: Journal of Materials Chemistry article in Chemistry World

Probiotic yoghurt drink

Probiotic bacteria are added to food such as yoghurt drinks to aid the digestive system. © Shutterstock

Most probiotic bacteria that are added to foods, such as yoghurt, to aid the digestive system are not reaching their intended target in the intestine. Instead, the majority are being destroyed in the stomach before they can do any good. Now, UK scientists have come up with a coating to overcome this problem.

Probiotics are bacteria that naturally live in the small and large intestine. They provide health benefits by producing nutrients, compete with pathogenic bacteria for binding sites and stimulate the immune system.

Read the full article in Chemistry World

Layer-by-layer coating of alginate matrices with chitosan–alginate for the improved survival and targeted delivery of probiotic bacteria after oral administration
Michael T. Cook,  George Tzortzis,  Vitaliy V. Khutoryanskiy and Dimitris Charalampopoulos
J. Mater. Chem. B, 2013, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/C2TB00126H

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Hot paper: PVA hybrid nanocomposites containing cellulose nanocrystals and silver nanoparticles

The bacteria Gluconacetobacter xylinus produces cellulose that is highly crystalline and has a high degree of polymerisation. The cellulose can be converted into rod-like nanocrystals which have very high modulus and strength. A variety of nanocomposites can be prepared by incorporating cellulose nanocrystals with polymers to give materials with excellent properties. Silver nanoparticles are well known to improve the anti-bacterial properties of polymer materials.

Scientists in India have prepared a hybrid nanocomposite from the combination of cellulose nanocrystals and silver nanoparticles as reinforcing fillers for the polymer PVA. Both the nanocrystals and the silver nanoparticles improved the mechanical properties of the PVA films. The nanocrystals increased the modulus and tensile strength of the films, while the nanoparticles decreased the brittleness of the films. These effects could be useful in making more biocompatible materials for applications such as in tissue engineering.

Augmented properties of PVA hybrid nanocomposites containing cellulose nanocrystals and silver nanoparticles
J. Mater. Chem., 2012, 22, 22433.  DOI: 10.1039/c2jm35235d
(free to read for a short time)

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Hot paper: imprinting photonic crystalline polymer matrices via multiple UV polymerisations

Cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs) show selective reflection due to their helical structures. They are formed by the introduction of chiral elements into liquid crystals molecules or by doping of nematic liquid crystals with chiral dopants. Photoresponsive chiral dopants are increasing being used to fabricate tuneable CLCs.

In this hot paper, Liu and colleagues use an imprinting method which used multiple UV-induced polymerisations. A helical polymer matrix was imprinted in the presence of a CLC. Desirable Bragg reflections were found, without any added liquid crystals or chiral compounds.

Fabrication and characterization of imprinted photonic crystalline polymer matrices via multiple UV polymerizations
J. Mater.  Chem., 2012, 22, 22446.  DOI: 10.1039/c2jm35151j
(free to read for a short time)

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