Oxidized phthalocyanines are widely used in the design of optical, magnetic and conducting materials.

In this NJC Letter, Dmitri V. Konarev and co-workers (Institutes of Problems of Chemical Physics and Solid State Physics, Russia) demonstrated that the reduction of phthalocyanines with strong metallocene donors like decamethylchromocene can also lead to the preparation of molecular magnets. In particular, the negatively charged iron phthalocyanine (Cp*₂Cr⁺)(Fe^IPc^–)(C₆H₄Cl₂)₄ is a soft ferrimagnet showing hysteresis with a small coercive field and a bifurcation temperature of about 5 K.

This original strategy should allow the extension of the molecular-based magnet family by exploiting metal-containing and metal-free phthalocyanines.

“Structure and magnetic properties of ionic compound (Cp*2Cr+)·(FeIPc−)·(C6H4Cl2)4 containing negatively charged iron phthalocyanine”, Dmitri V. Konarev, Leokadia V. Zorina, Salavat S. Khasanov, El’za U. Hakimova and Rimma N. Lyubovskaya, New J. Chem., 2012, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C1NJ20858F.

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In this NJC paper, Aharon Gedanken and co-workers (Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Israel) have prepared stabilized liquid-filled microspheres of graphene oxide, by applying ultra-sonic power to a biphasic system.

By using two dyes, the authors were able to show that the microsphere’s core has mostly a hydrophobic environment due to organic solvents though a  polar environment was also measured at the microsphere’s core, which increased close to the microsphere edge that was attributed to the presence of graphene oxide sheets and water molecules.

Graphene oxide microspheres prepared by a simple, one-step ultrasonication method Matias Sametband, Ulyana Shimanovich and Aharon Gedanken New J. Chem., 2011, Advance Article DOI: 10.1039/C1NJ20738E

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Because of their distinctive properties, in particular their negligible vapor pressure, ionic liquids have attracted increasing attention in many fields, including organic chemistry, electrochemistry, catalysis, physical chemistry. However, the toxicity including ecotoxicity of these so-called a “green solvent” has recently received broad attention.

In this NJC paper C. S. Pereira and co-workers (collaborative research work between the Universities in the UK and Portugal) have investigated the toxicity of quaternary phosphonium ionic liquids towards fungal conidia Aspergillus nidulans.

This interesting work reveals the mechanism of toxicity of the tetraalkylphosphonium chlorides, demonstrating that systematic elongation of the alkyl substituents result in generally higher toxicity. In this study, fluorescence microscopy is proposed as a direct method for assessing the impact of ionic liquids on the plasma membrane integrity.

Unravelling the mechanism of toxicity of alkyltributylphosphonium chlorides in Aspergillus nidulans conidia; Marija Petkovic, Diego O. Hartmann, Gabriela Adamová, Kenneth R. Seddon, Luís Paulo N. Rebelo and Cristina Silva Pereira; New J. Chem., 2011, Advance Article; DOI: 10.1039/C1NJ20470J, Paper

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In this NJC “Hot article” scientists in Japan have reported that homogeneous single-layer graphene can be obtained by simply annealing the carbon contaminated Cu films deposited on c-plane Al2O3 at 900 and 1000 ˚C without additional carbon supply.

The nucleation mechanism of graphene on the Cu surface has been prepared via Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). Furthermore, the authors show that graphitization of amorphous carbon during CVD is effected not only by carbon supersaturation, but it is also affected by CVD temperature and crystallographic plane of the underlying metal. Their results provide direct experimental evidence to elucidate the influencing factors of graphitization of amorphous carbon into graphene.

Exploring the nucleation and mechanism of graphene growth provide important contribution to the graphene research with respect to their further application.

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On the nucleation of graphene by chemical vapor deposition Baoshan Hu, Hiroki Ago, Carlo M. Orofeo, Yui Ogawa and Masaharu Tsuji; New J. Chem., 2011, Advance Article; DOI: 10.1039/C1NJ20695H, Paper

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In this NJC paper, Sophie Tingry and co-workers (Institut Européen des Membranes at Montpellier, France) prepared a carbon nanofibers (CNFs) electrode through electrospinning of a polyacrylonitrile solution and subsequent thermal carbonization treatment.

The CNFs-based electrode was successfully used as support for enzyme (laccase) immobilization and applied to bioelectrocatalytic O₂ reduction. Besides its easy handling, the excellent structural stability and surface properties of the CNFs electrode improved the electron transfer rate at the electrode surface and increased the accessible surface area of the electrode, therefore allowing a higher loading of active enzyme.

These nanomaterials are promising candidates as enzymatic cathodes in biofuel cell devices.

“Fabrication of free-standing electrospun carbon nanofibers as efficient electrode materials for bioelectrocatalysis”, Ai-Fu Che, Vincent Germain, Marc Cretin, David Cornu, Christophe Innocent and Sophie Tingry, New J. Chem., 2011, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C1NJ20651F.

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The approaches developed previously to mimic chlorosomal assembly and function (with potential applications that include, for instance, the creation of photosynthesis-inspired solar cells) rely on (i) modification of naturally occurring tetrapyrrole macrocycles and (ii) synthesis and derivatization of porphyrins. In this NJC paper, researchers from Raleigh (North Carolina State University), St. Louis (Washington University), and Riverside (University of California) propose a third approach with the design and preparation of hydroporphyrins. Altogether, 30 new macrocycles were successfully synthesized, characterized and studied. The authors claim that this de novo strategy allows a fine tuning of the steric and electronic characteristics of the synthetic bacteriochlorophyll mimics.

“De novo synthesis and properties of analogues of the self-assembling chlorosomal bacteriochlorophylls” Olga Mass, Dinesh R. Pandithavidana, Marcin Ptaszek, Koraliz Santiago, Joseph W. Springer, Jieying Jiao, Qun Tang, Christine Kirmaier, David F. Bocian, Dewey Holten and Jonathan S. Lindsey New J. Chem., 2011, Advance Article. DOI: 10.1039/C1NJ20611G

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Scientists in China have designed and synthesized copolymer as the host and adamantyl fullerene as the guest to construct a host-guest supramolecular complex

Their work shows that the morphology of assemblies formed by the supramolecular complex can alter reversibly from vesicles to nano-spheres by the change of temperature in aqueous solution.

Due to the C60 moiety, the supramolecular complex shows excellent ability to scavenge hydroxyl radicals of biological system.

Thus, the combination of these two effects leads to the possibility of modulating the antioxidative properties of the supramolecular complex via the temperature.

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Self-assembled nanostructures from C₆₀-containing supramolecular complex: its stimuli-responsive reversible transition and biological antioxidative capacity

Haoyu Wang, Liang Wang, Xiaoguang Wang, Jiayun Xu, Quan Luo and Junqiu Liu New J. Chem., 2011, Advance Article DOI: 10.1039/C1NJ20568D, Paper

In this NJC paper, Siden Top and co-workers (Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Paris, France) have prepared a number of ferrocenyl derivatives of the well-established tamoxifen drug. These compounds showed a strong antiproliferative effect, probably linked to their cytoxicity, on both hormone-dependent (MCF-7) and hormone-independent (MDA-MB-231) breast cancer cells. The authors suggest that the mechanism of action of these molecules differs from that of tamoxifen and highlight their ability to complex divalent cations such as Zn²⁺ and Ca²⁺.

“A new series of ferrocifen derivatives, bearing two aminoalkyl chains, with strong antiproliferative effects on breast cancer cells”, Pascal Pigeon, Siden Top, Anne Vessières, Michel Huché, Meral Görmen, Mehdi El Arbi, Marie-Aude Plamont, Michael J. McGlinchey and Gérard Jaouen, New J. Chem., 2011, Advance Article, DOI: 10.1039/C1NJ20192A (Paper)

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In this NJC “Hot Article”, Jian Hua Zhu and co-workers at Nanjing University (China) describe the immobilization of Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) on periodic mesoporous organosilicas (PMO).

It is demonstrated that the enzyme activity is enhanced 110% compared with free HRP in solution. Besides, the stability of immobilized HRP to lower pH values or the denaturing agent urea is enhanced, resulting from interfacial activation of the enzyme when it is attached to a surface filled with organic groups and hydrophobic parts. The thermal stability of immobilized HRP on PMO is also increased and, moreover, the HRP immobilized samples can be reusable for many cycles.

“Elevating enzyme activity through the immobilization of horseradish peroxidase onto periodic mesoporous organosilicas” Na Lin, Ling Gao, Zhe Chen and Jian Hua Zhu, New J. Chem., 2011, Advance Article. DOI: 10.1039/C1NJ20311H.

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