NJC Blog

The first outside cover of the year was designed by Dr Lakshi Saikia (CSIR-North East Institute of Science and Technology, India) to illustrate a Letter in which the authors report a facile route for synthesizing Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles on MIL-101(Cr) support to obtain Fe₃O₄@MIL-101(Cr) nanocomposite and study its efficiency for the solvent-free oxidation of benzyl alcohol with tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) as oxidant.
The results show that the catalyst can be easily recycled and could be reused for three times without significant loss in activity. This simple and rapid process can be extended to other metal organic frameworks that are chemically potent and thermally robust.

Facile synthesis of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles on metal organic framework MIL-101(Cr): characterization and its catalytic activity.
Mrinal Saikia, Diganta Bhuyan and Lakshi Saikia.
New J. Chem., 2015, 39, 64-67. DOI: 10.1039/C4NJ01312C.

Dr Xiangcheng Sun (University of Waterloo, Canada) has designed the inside cover. In their Perspective review, Dr Sun and his colleagues expose their interest to develop rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles and large stationary power supplies. According to them, LTO anodes could replace the graphite anodes in current lithium-ion batteries because of their high safety, long life, low cost and environmentally benign properties.

In their work, the team introduces recent studies on electronic structure and performance, synthesis methods and strategies for further improvements, including carbon-coating, ion-doping, surface modification, nano-structuring and optimization of the particle morphology of the LTO anode. Furthermore, the authors highlight the practical applications of  commercial spinel LTO lithium-ion batteries and also deal with the future research directions and key developments of this spinel LTO anode.

Advances in spinel Li₄Ti₅O₁₂ anode material for lithium-ion batteries.
Xiangcheng Sun, Pavle V. Radovanovic and Bo Cui.
New J. Chem., 2015, 39, 38-63. DOI: 10.1039/C4NJ01390E.

To read more, access the full January issue here.

Our outside cover, designed by Prof. Yamauchi (National Institute for Materials Science, Japan) and his colleagues, presents a Focus article dedicated to mesoporous fibers.

The authors review several works on non-siliceous mesoporous fibers synthesized with both soft- and hard-templates. They also discuss the orientation control of the mesochannels inside the fibers, which is important for considering the adsorption and diffusion of molecules, and they introduce their recent works on the novel synthesis of mesoporous fibers.

Recent progress on the tailored synthesis of various mesoporous fibers toward practical applications
Norihiro Suzuki, Jian Liu and Yusuke Yamauchi.
New J. Chem., 2014, 38, 3330-3335. DOI: 10.1039/C4NJ00016A.

The inside cover illustrates a paper by Dr Chahma (Laurentian University, Canada) and his co-workers in which they  describe the characterization of interactions between a free amino acid and chiral conducting surfaces using cyclic voltammetry and FTIR spectroscopy.

They report that being able to control the functionalities on conducting surfaces can help tune the chemical and electrochemical properties of the modified surfaces, thereby affecting the detectability of immobilized molecules on them.

Characterization of phenomena occurring at the interface of chiral conducting surfaces
M’hamed Chahma, Christopher D. McTiernan and Sara A. Abbas.
New J. Chem., 2014, 38, 3379-3385. DOI: 10.1039/C4NJ00489B.

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The second Focus article is written by Dr Nicolas Giuseppone (University of Strasbourg) and co-workers in which they present how chromatographic, spectroscopic, and microscopic techniques, as well as theoretical modelling and statistical data treatment, are instrumental in the new research area of dynamic combinatorial systems, a significant area at the interface of molecular biology and materials science. The authors illustrate the advantages of a number of experimental and theoretical methods by a non-exhaustive review of examples from the recent literature.

Experimental and theoretical methods for the analyses of dynamic combinatorial libraries
Maria Cristina Misuraca, Emilie Moulin, Yves Ruffa and Nicolas Giuseppone.
New J. Chem., 2014, 38, 3336-3349. DOI: 10.1039/C4NJ00304G.

To find out more, access the full issue

The August issue of New Journal of Chemistry contains 50 articles for your summer reading enjoyment.

Bi-polar states of solid matter.

Among the highlights of this issue, don’t miss the latest Focus review, by the group of Jürg Hulliger at the University of Bern in Switzerland. Using condensed matter theory, the key message that molecular solids can end up in bi-polar states has implications for tissue formation, function and repair. This is an interesting example of how findings in one field might lead to breakthroughs in a very different field.

A stochastic principle behind polar properties of condensed molecular matter by Jürg Hulliger, Thomas Wüst, Khadidja Brahimi, Matthias Burgener and Hanane Aboulfadl, New J. Chem., 2013, 37, 2229-2235. DOI: 10.1039/C3NJ40935J

Cover for the work of Mikata et al.

The outside and inside front covers feature highly ranked works. This month the striking outside front cover was proposed by the group of Yuji Mikata from Nara Women’s University in Japan. They achieved OFF-ON, ratiometric or ON-OFF responses towards mercury and iron cations by modifying the substitution pattern on their basic molecular skeleton.

Thioether-tethered bisquinoline derivatives as fluorescent probes for mercury(II) and iron(III) ions by Yuji Mikata, Fumie Nakagaki and Kaori Nakanishi, New J. Chem., 2013, 37, 2236-2240. DOI: 10.1039/C3NJ00233K

Cover for the work of Andruh and collaborators.

A collaborative effort by several groups in Romania and France is featured on the inside front cover. They determined the crystal structures and studied the magnetic and photophysical properties of sixteen 3d–4f Schiff-base complexes. The interaction between the two metal ions lead to interesting effects on the properties.

A new synthetic route towards binuclear 3d–4f complexes, using non-compartmental ligands derived from o-vanillin. Syntheses, crystal structures, magnetic and luminescent properties by Masood Sarwar, Augustin M. Madalan, Carmen Tiseanu, Ghenadie Novitchi, Catalin Maxim, Gabriela Marinescu, Dominique Luneau and Marius Andruh, New J. Chem., 2013, 37, 2280-2292. DOI: 10.1039/C3NJ00199G

Stay abreast of the latest research with NJC! Sign up for the free E-Alert to get the table of contents in your mailbox each month.

We invite you to visit the April issue of NJC.

A perspective article by B. L. V. Prasad and D. S. Sidhaye (National Chemical laboratory, Pune, India) features on this month’s front cover. In this review article, the digestive ripening procedure is reviewed, discussed and its utility spanning the preparation of monodispersed nanoparticles, alloy nanoparticles, superlattice structures and the most interesting nano-machining is demonstrated.

Many manifestations of digestive ripening: monodispersity, superlattices and nanomachining, Deepti S. Sidhaye and B. L. V. Prasad, New J. Chem., 2011, 35, 755-763, DOI: 10.1039/C0NJ00359J (Perspective)

The inside cover was produced by R. Beckert and W. J. Baader and co-workers (a collaboration from teams in Germany and Brazil), presenting an uphill energy conversion process using 1, 2-dioxetanes.

Chemiluminescence-based uphill energy conversion, Luiz Francisco Monteiro Leite Ciscato, Dieter Weiss, Rainer Beckert, Erick Leite Bastos, Fernando Heering Bartoloni and Wilhelm Josef Baader, New J. Chem., 2011, 35, 773-775, DOI: 10.1039/C0NJ00843E (Letter, Hot paper)



In this issue, also check out :

• the perspective article by D. Astruc on the assembly, properties, functions and multiple applications of ferrocenyl dendrimers from small to giant sizes.

Ferrocenyl dendrimers: multi-electron redox reagents and their applications, Didier Astruc, New J. Chem., 2011, 35, 764-772, DOI: 10.1039/C0NJ00875C (Perspective)

You can access and read the whole issue 4 here.

We welcome you to NJC‘s February issue, out now.

A Perspective article by Kenneth Kam-Wing Lo and coworkers (University of Hong-Kong) features on this month’s front cover.  In this review article, find out on  some recent examples of luminescent iridium(III) polypyridine complexes as probes for chemical and biological molecules. The targets include proton, cations and anions, small molecules, nucleic acids, protein molecules and cellular structures.

Development of luminescent iridium(III) polypyridine complexes as chemical and biological probes, Kenneth Kam-Wing Lo, Steve Po-Yam Li and Kenneth Yin Zhang, New J. Chem., 2011, 35, 265-287, DOI: 10.1039/C0NJ00478B Perspective

The inside front cover showcases the work of V. Haridas et al. (a collaboration from teams in Australia and India), presenting  a new class of peptide-based dendrons and dendrimers that display unique vesicle-driven organogelation.

Gelation and topochemical polymerization of peptide dendrimers, V. Haridas, Yogesh K. Sharma, Rhiannon Creasey, Srikanta Sahu, Christopher T. Gibson and Nicolas H. Voelcker, New J. Chem., 2011, 35, 303-309, DOI: 10.1039/C0NJ00544D, Paper

• In this issue, also check out our very second FOCUS article, NJC‘s  new and exciting highlight format, this month on macroporous monoliths and their use as catalytic microreactors:

Monolithic flow microreactors improve fine chemicals synthesis, Alexander Sachse, Anne Galarneau, Bernard Coq and François Fajula, New J. Chem., 2011, 35, 259-264, DOI: 10.1039/C0NJ00965B, Focus

• And why not meet some of this month’s authors ?

You can access and read the whole issue 2 of NJC here. Leave us a comment and let us know what you think!

In the December issue, find out more on the latest science published in NJC, featuring an NJC Opinion on molecular set-reset memories by  Uwe Pischel and Joakim Andréasson,  2 Perspectives highlighting calixarenes from different angles, and much more in the other 38 articles!

The outside front cover features the Perspective by Kaisa Helttunen (University of Jyväskylä) and Patrick Shahgaldian (University of Applied Science Northwestern Switzerland) who present the developments of the chemistry of amphiphilic calixarenes and resorcinarenes with a clear focus on the synthetic paths used for their production and their self-assembly properties in water.

Self-assembly of amphiphilic calixarenes and resorcinarenes in water, Kaisa Helttunen and Patrick Shahgaldian, New J. Chem., 2010, 34, 2704-2714 DOI:10.1039/C0NJ00123F

The inside front cover presents work by Janet Blümel et al. on novel linkers for immobilized catalysts. The Rh catalysts immobilized by a rigid linker scaffold, characterized by ¹¹⁹Sn MAS and X-ray analysis, cannot dimerize or touch the silica surface. The batches are recycled 30 times! Deciphering the cover artwork, the substrate and product are in the “liquid phase”, while the catalyst is like a palm or mangrove tree on an island, and cannot dimerize or hang down into the sand. The hydrogen for the catalytic reaction rides in as a cloud, while the Cl of the Wilkinson-type complex features the coconut.

New Linker Systems for Superior Immobilized Catalysts, Björn Beele, Johannes Guenther, Melanie Perera, Michaela Stach, Thomas Oeser and Janet Blüme New J. Chem. 2010, 34, 2729-2731 DOI: 10.1039/C0NJ00482K

We hope you enjoy this issue!

If you fancy submitting an article to New Journal of Chemistry, then why not submit to us today or alternatively email us your suggestions.