RSC Applied Interfaces Blog

Last week, RSC Applied Interfaces and Soft Matter were delighted to sponsor the Particles at Liquid Interfaces – Fundamental Processes to Functional Materials meeting in Leeds.

We sponsored two prizes at the meeting, both awarded by Professor Bernie Binks from the University of Hull, UK.

The best student poster prize was awarded to Elizabeth Tenorio from the University of Leeds, UK, and the best student talk prize was awarded to Johannes Menath from Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuernberg, Germany.

Please join us in congratulating our excellent prize winners!

RSC Applied Interfaces has published its first few issues which can be read for free here. To celebrate our recently-published articles, we asked our authors to share some comments on their work.

In this post, we hear from Dr Yabu and their team, providing some insight into their recently published article entitled Rare-metal-free high-performance water-activated paper battery: a disposable energy source for wearable sensing devices.

Comments from the authors

“The Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami of 2011 caused widespread devastation, including in Sendai, where Tohoku University is located. We witnessed many people being swept away by the tsunami during the disaster. If the exact location of those caught in the tsunami or lost at sea could have been known immediately, some lives might have been saved.
We have successfully developed a metal-air paper battery that generates electricity by absorbing water, using our unique catalyst technology, which can be utilized as a power source for global positioning system (GPS). The smart life jacket, equipped with this battery and GPS, can instantly transmit location information via GPS when it gets wet, allowing for precise identification of the position of individuals in need of rescue.
Our group aims to contribute to the safety of people working at sea and to rescue efforts during disasters through the manufacturing of this smart life jackets equipped with the high-performance batteries, and the integration of sensor components such as GPS.”

Meet the authors

From left to right: Prof Yabu, Mr Ishibashi, Prof Ono, and Mr Ito discussing application of a metal-air paper battery to a smart life jacket equipped with a GPS sensor.

Want to find out more? Read the full paper below!

Rare-metal-free high-performance water-activated paper battery: a disposable energy source for wearable sensing devices

Kosuke Ishibashi, Shimpei Ono, Jun Kamei, Koju Ito and Hiroshi Yabu

RSC Appl. Interfaces, 2024, 1, 435-442 DOI: 10.1039/D3LF00258F

RSC Applied Interfaces is a dedicated, interdisciplinary reference journal for cutting-edge research on the applications of surfaces and interfaces. In addition to the applied focus, work considered for publication in RSC Applied Interfaces is expected to be highly original and of top quality. The journal seeks to report major scientific advances beyond the state of the art, at the cutting edge of this interdisciplinary field.

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Join our symposium in Seattle to celebrate the launch of RSC Applied Interfaces

We are delighted to announce a symposium to celebrate the launch of RSC Applied Interfaces!

Speakers will be discussing their latest high-profile research across different aspects of applied interfacial and surface science.

• Federico Rosei, Editor-in-Chief (University of Trieste, Italy)
• Anna Balazs (University of Pittsburg, US)
• Jaroslaw Jacak (University of Applied Sciences, Austria)
• Maria Antonietta Loi (University of Groningen, Netherlands)
• Richard Kaner (UCLA, US)
• Svetlana Kilina (North Dakota State University, US)
• Clara Santato (École Polytechnique de Montréal, Canada)
• Aiping Yu (University of Waterloo, Canada)

The symposium will run from 10:30am until 16:00pm. Coffee/refreshments will be provided during the scientific sessions. Formal registration is not required, but to get an idea of attendance numbers we would be grateful if you could RSVP if you are planning to attend.

We hope to see you in Seattle in April!

Explore new and exciting research for free

Welcome to the inaugural issue of RSC Applied Interfaces.

Our first issue features cutting edge research from around the globe and an editorial from our editor-in-chief, Federico Rosei.

Read every article for free – we’re gold open access.

Our first issue includes:

Introducing RSC Applied Interfaces Federico Rosei RSC Appl. Interfaces, 2024, 1, 9-10.

The role of ceria/precious metal interfaces in catalysis Michele Melchionna and Paolo Fornasiero RSC Appl. Interfaces, 2024, 1, 70-79.

Bias switchable narrowband/broadband NIR organic photodetector fabricated with a scalable technique Lai-Hung Lai, Wei-Hsiang Lin, Chin-Chuan Hsieh and Maria Antonietta Loi RSC Appl. Interfaces, 2024, 1, 122-132.

Understanding improved capacity retention at 4.3 V in modified single crystal Ni-rich NMC//graphite pouch cells at elevated temperature Galo J. Páez Fajardo, Meltiani Belekoukia, Satish Bolloju, Eleni Fiamegkou, Ashok S. Menon, Zachary Ruff, Zonghao Shen, Nickil Shah, Erik Björklund, Mateusz Jan Zuba, Tien-Lin Lee, Pardeep K. Thakur, Robert S. Weatherup, Ainara Aguadero, Melanie J. Loveridge, Clare P. Grey and Louis F. J. Piper RSC Appl. Interfaces, 2024, 1, 133-146.

Developing 3D computational models to capture the spatial, temporal and thermal behavior as laser beams propagate through photo-thermally responsive gels Victor V. Yashin, Fariha Mahmood, Kalaichelvi Saravanamuttu and Anna C. Balazs RSC Appl. Interfaces, 2024, 1, 183-193.

Read these papers and more in our first issue.

Find out more about RSC Applied Interfaces on the journal webpage, sign up for email alerts, or submit your manuscript now.

We are delighted to introduce you to our RSC Applied Interfaces Associate Editor, Professor Ryan Richards.

About Professor Ryan Richards

Ryan Richards is a Professor of Chemistry and Materials Science at the Colorado School of Mines (Mines) and holds a joint appointment at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) both in Golden, Colorado USA. Find out more about Professor Richards on our webpage.

Read some of his applied research here:

Nanocrystalline rhenium-doped TiO₂: an efficient catalyst in the one-pot conversion of carbohydrates into levulinic acid. The synergistic effect between Brønsted and Lewis acid sites
Sorin Avramescu, Cristian D. Ene, Madalina Ciobanu, Josefine Schnee, Francois Devred, Cristina Bucur, Eugeniu Vasile, Luke Colaciello, Ryan Richards, Eric M. Gaigneaux and Marian Nicolae Verziu
Catal. Sci. Technol., 2022, 12, 167-180.

Carbon Capture by Metal Oxides: Unleashing the Potential of the (111) Facet
Greg A. Mutch, Sarah Shulda, Alan J. McCue, Martin J. Menart, Cristian V. Ciobanu, Chilan Ngo, James A. Anderson, Ryan M. Richards and David Vega-Maza
J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2018, 140, 4736-4742.

Revealing the Dynamics and Roles of Iron Incorporation in Nickel Hydroxide Water Oxidation Catalysts
Chunguang Kuai, Cong Xi, Anyang Hu, Yan Zhang, Zhengrui Xu, Dennis Nordlund, Cheng-Jun Sun, Christopher A. Cadigan, Ryan M. Richards, Luxi Li, Cun-Ku Dong, Xi-Wen Du and Feng Lin
J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2021, 143, 18519-18526.

Professor Richards considers submissions on

Submit your research in these areas to Professor Richards now

Celebrating our RSC Applied Interfaces editor-in-chief

The RSC Applied Interfaces editorial team would like to extend a huge congratulations to our inaugural editor-in-chief, Federico Rosei, after he was awarded the National Order of Québec.

The National Order of Québec is awarded annually to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the development and reputation of Québec. Candidates are nominated by the public, with the most outstanding nominees being selected to receive the award by the Council of the Order.

As a result of the award, Federico has received the esteemed title of Knight of the National Order of Québec. The title of Knight recognises those who have exhibited exceptional activity in a particular field.

You can find out more about Federico on our webpage, here.

You can also find out more about the National Order of Quebec on their webpage, here: https://www.ordre-national.gouv.qc.ca/membres/membre.asp?id=3946

We are delighted to introduce you to our RSC Applied Interfaces Associate Editor, Professor Serena Margadonna.

About Professor Serena Margadonna

Serena Margadonna joined Swansea University, UK, in 2015 as Chair in Materials Engineering and is currently the Head of the School of Engineering and Applied Science. Find out more about Professor Margadonna on our webpage.

Read some of her applied research here:

Synergic effect of Bi, Sb and Te for the increased stability of bulk alloying anodes for sodium-ion batteries
Marcin W. Orzech, Francesco Mazzali, James D. McGettrick, Cameron Pleydell-Pearce, Trystan M. Watson, Wayne Voice, David Jarvis, and Serena Margadonna
J. Mater. Chem. A., 2017, 5, 23198-23208.

Water-Stable DMASnBr3 Lead-Free Perovskite for Effective Solar-Driven Photocatalysis
Lidia Romani, Andrea Speltini, Francesco Ambrosio, Edoardo Mosconi, Antonella Profumo, Marcello Marelli, Serena Margadonna, Antonella Milella, Francesco Fracassi, Andrea Listorti, Filippo De Angelis, and Lorenzo Malavasi
Angew. Chem., Int. Ed., 2021, 60, 3611-3618.

Professor Margadonna considers submissions on

Submit your research in these areas to Professor Margadonna now

We are delighted to introduce you to our RSC Applied Interfaces Associate Editor, Professor Jianbin Huang.

About Professor Jianbin Huang

Jianbin Huang is a Professor and Chief of surfactant and colloid research and development at Peking University, China. Find out more about Professor Huang on our webpage.

Read some of his applied research here:

The pressing-induced formation of a large-area supramolecular film for oil capture
Wenkai Wang, Mengqi Xie, Hongjun Jin, Wanwan Zhi, Kaerdun Liu, Cheng Ma, Peilong Liao, Jianbin Huang, and Yun Yan
Mater. Chem. Front., 2020, 4, 1530-1539.

Folic Acid-Based Coacervate Leading to a Double-Sided Tape for Adhesion of Diverse Wet and Dry Substrates
Shuitao Gao, Wenkai Wang, Tongyue Wu, Shasha Jiang, Jinwan Qi, Zhiyang Zhu, Bin Zhang, Jianbin Huang, and Yun Yan
ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2021, 13, 34843-34850.

Surface Hydrophobization Provides Hygroscopic Supramolecular Plastics Based on Polysaccharides with Damage-Specific Healability and Room-Temperature Recyclability
Hongjun Jin, Weilin Lin, Ziyan Wu, Xinyu Cheng, Xinyuan Chen, Yingjie Fan, Wangchuan Xiao, Jianbin Huang, Qingrong Qian, Qinghua Chen, and Yun Yan
Adv. Mater., 2023, 35, 2207688.

Generating circularly polarized luminescence from clusterization‐triggered emission using solid phase molecular self-assembly
Peilong Liao, Shihao Zang, Tongyue Wu, Hongjun Jin, Wenkai Wang, Jianbin Huang, Ben Zhong Tang, and Yun Yan
Nat. Commun., 2021, 12, 5496.

Professor Huang considers submissions on

Submit your research in these areas to Professor Huang now

We are delighted to welcome Professor Serena Margadonna, Swansea University, UK, as an Associate Editor for RSC Applied Interfaces, a new open access journal publishing cutting edge research on the applications of surfaces and interfaces.

Learn more about our new Associate Editor

Serena Margadonna joined Swansea University in 2015 as Chair in Materials Engineering and is currently the Head of the School of Engineering and Applied Science. Previously, she has worked in several institutions including the Universities of Cambridge as a Jesus College Research Fellow, Edinburgh as a Dorothy Hodgkin Royal Society Fellow and Oslo as a Professor in Materials Chemistry.

She has been responsible for significant advances in the fields of strongly correlated electron systems, superconductivity and molecular magnetism. More recently she focuses on developing sustainable materials and processes for the manufacturing of electrochemical energy storage solutions with a particular focus on sodium-ion batteries.

Find out more about Professor Margadonna on our webpage.

Read some of her recent papers below:

Synergic effect of Bi, Sb and Te for the increased stability of bulk alloying anodes for sodium-ion batteries

Marcin W. Orzech, Francesco Mazzali, James D. McGettrick, Cameron Pleydell-Pearce, Trystan M. Watson, Wayne Voice, David Jarvis and Serena Margadonna

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2017, 5, 23198-23208

Water-Stable DMASnBr3 Lead-Free Perovskite for Effective Solar-Driven Photocatalysis

Lidia Romani, Andrea Speltini, Francesco Ambrosio, Edoardo Mosconi, Antonella Profumo, Marcello Marelli, Serena Margadonna, Antonella Milella, Francesco Fracassi, Andrea Listorti, Filippo De Angelis and Lorenzo Malavasi

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2021, 60, 3611-3618

RSC Applied Interfaces is open for submissions. Find out more on the journal webpage, sign up for email alerts, or submit your manuscript now.

Please join us in welcoming Professor Margadonna to RSC Applied Interfaces.

We are delighted to welcome Professor Ryan M. Richards, Colorado School of Mines & NREL, USA, as Associate Editor for RSC Applied Interfaces, a new open access journal publishing cutting edge research on the applications of surfaces and interfaces.

Learn more about our new Associate Editor

Ryan M. Richards is a Professor of Chemistry and Materials Science at the Colorado School of Mines (Mines) and holds a joint appointment at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) both in Golden, Colorado USA. Additionally, Prof. Richards is the Mines lead for the Mines/NREL Nexus which coordinates, facilitates and promotes all joint activities and appointments. Prof. Richards received his BS from Michigan State University, MS Central Michigan University and PhD from Kansas State University. Prof. Richards was accepted as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in November 2023.

Research in the Richards group is focused on new synthetic methods to control the size, shape and composition of nanoscale materials and apply them in systems integral to alternative energy technologies, pharmaceuticals, biomass upgrading, batteries, and environmental remediation.

Find out more about Professor Richards on our webpage.

Read some of his recent papers below:

Nanocrystalline rhenium-doped TiO2: an efficient catalyst in the one-pot conversion of carbohydrates into levulinic acid. The synergistic effect between Brønsted and Lewis acid sites

Sorin Avramescu, Cristian D. Ene, Madalina Ciobanu, Josefine Schnee, Francois Devred, Cristina Bucur, Eugeniu Vasile, Luke Colaciello, Ryan Richards, Eric M. Gaigneaux and Marian Nicolae Verziu

Catal. Sci. Technol., 2022, 12, 167-180

A microwave assisted ionic liquid route to prepare bivalent Mn5O8 nanoplates for 5-hydroxymethylfurfural oxidation

Lifang Chen, Ting Zhang, Hongye Cheng, Ryan M. Richards and Zhiwen Qi

Nanoscale, 2020, 12, 17902-17914

RSC Applied Interfaces is now open for submissions. Find out more on the journal webpage, sign up for email alerts or submit your manuscript now.

Please join us in welcoming Professor Richards to RSC Applied Interfaces.