Blue nanoparticles mop up radioactive element

Written by Jamie Durrani for Chemistry World

Chernobyl ruins

Source: © Shutterstock The Chernobyl nuclear power plant where a domed concrete structure is being built to contain the still highly radioactive reactor

Scientists in France have developed a nanoparticle-based formulation of Prussian blue, which could lead to better treatments for people who have been exposed to radioactive contamination.

Large quantities of radioactive contaminants can be released into the environment during nuclear weapon tests or accidents at nuclear reactors – such as those that occurred in Chernobyl, Ukraine, in 1986, and more recently in Fukushima, Japan. Radioactive caesium isotopes are among the more common fission products that escape during such events and are easily absorbed by the human body. Exposure to radioactive caesium can cause many different types of cancer, neurological effects and in extreme cases rapid death.

The full story can be read in Chemistry World.

The original article is free to access until the 24th May 2017 and can be read below:

In situ synthesis of Prussian blue nanoparticles within a biocompatible reverse micellar system for in vivo Cs+ uptake
Yannick Guari et al.,
New J. Chem., 2017, 41, 2887-2890
DOI: 10.1039/C6NJ03770D

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Outstanding Reviewers for New Journal of Chemistry in 2016

Following the success of Peer Review Week in September 2016 (dedicated to reviewer recognition) during which we published a list of our top reviewers, we are delighted to announce that we will continue to recognise the contribution that our reviewers make to the journal by announcing our Outstanding Reviewers each year.

We would like to highlight the Outstanding Reviewers for New Journal of Chemistry in 2016, as selected by the editorial team, for their significant contribution to the journal. The reviewers have been chosen based on the number, timeliness and quality of the reports completed over the last 12 months.

We would like to say a big thank you to those individuals listed here as well as to all of the reviewers that have supported the journal. Each Outstanding Reviewer will receive a certificate to give recognition for their significant contribution.

Dr Si-Xue Cheng, Wuhan University
Professor Antonio Frontera, Universitat de les Illes Balears
Professor Stephen Hashmi, Universität Heidelberg
Professor Jonathan Lindsey, North Carolina State University
Dr Adrian Ruff, Ruhr-Uni-Bochum
Professor Ben Zhong Tang, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Dr Giuseppe Trusso Sfrazzetto, University of Catania
Dr Qiongyou Wu, Central China Normal University
Dr Yi Xia, Chongqing University

We would also like to thank the New Journal of Chemistry board and the Inorganic community for their continued support of the journal, as authors, reviewers and readers.

If you would like to become a reviewer for our journal, just email us with details of your research interests and an up-to-date CV or résumé.  You can find more details in our author and reviewer resource centre

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Major society chemistry publishers jointly commit to integration with ORCID

ORCID provides an identifier for individuals to use with their name as they engage in research, scholarship and innovation activities, ensuring authors gain full credit for their work.

Today, we signed their open letter, along with ACS Publications, committing to unambiguous identification of all authors that publish in our journals.

The official press release can be read here.

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NJC issue 12 now online

Discover the last issue of New Journal of Chemistry for the year 2016. The journal team wishes you a very happy festive season!

NJC Dec 2016 OFC - Dr MagriThe last outside cover of the year 2016 is proposed by Dr David Magri (University of Malta). In their study, Dr Magri and his co-workers design and synthesize two novel ‘Pourbaix sensors’ based on a naphthalimide fluorophore according to a ‘fluorophore–spacer1–receptor–spacer2–electron-donor’ design. Their results contribute to the emerging number of intelligent molecular and supramolecular devices responsive to oxidants and pH. The authors are currently exploring the use of naphthalimide-based ‘Pourbaix sensors’ for molecular biosensing and environmental diagnostic applications.

Water-soluble naphthalimide-based ‘Pourbaix sensors’: pH and redox-activated fluorescent AND logic gates based on photoinduced electron transfer
Alex D. Johnson, Kyle A. Paterson, Jake C. Spiteri, Sergey A. Denisov, Gediminas Jonusauskas, Arnaud Tron, Nathan D. McClenaghan and David C. Magri*.
New J. Chem., 2016, 40, 9917-9922. DOI: 10.1039/C6NJ02023B.

You can access the entire table of contents of the December issue of NJC here.

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NJC issue 11 now online

NJC Nov 16 OFC - Dr ChandraDr Sudeshna Chandra (NMIMS University, India) designed this month’s outside cover. It illustrates an article in which the authors propose a novel electrochemical immunosensor, based on a redox-active ferrocenyl dendrimer on a glassy carbon electrode, for the detection of cancer biomarkers.

Fabrication of a label-free electrochemical immunosensor using a redox active ferrocenyl dendrimer
Sudeshna Chandra, Christian Gäbler, Christian Schliebe, Heinrich Lang and Dhirendra Bahadur,  New J. Chem., 2016, 40, 9046-9053. DOI: 10.1039/C6NJ00830E.

NJC Nov 16 IFC - Dr Jelinek

The inside cover is proposed by Dr Raz Jelinek (Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel). According to Dr Jelinek and his co-workers, the analysis of artworks and identification of their molecular components is very important to choose proper conservation strategies and monitor their restoration. In their study the authors present an application of spin-coated polydiacetylene films for in situ colorimetric sensing of a selection of organic materials present in paintings. Their study shows that the polydiacetylene technology might open new analytical avenues in molecular analysis, in general, and more specifically for painting restoration and conversation science.

Colorimetric analysis of painting materials using polymer-supported polydiacetylene films
Alexander Trachtenberg, Orit Malka, Kaviya Parambath Kootery, Stella Beglaryan, Danilo Malferrari, Paola Galletti, Silvia Prati, Rocco Mazzeo, Emilio Tagliavini and  Raz Jelinek, New J. Chem., 2016, 40, 9054-9059. DOI: 10.1039/C6NJ02092E.

NJC FOC Nov 16 - Dr Labarca

Also read the short Focus review by Dr Martín Labarca (Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina). Dr Labarca addresses the problem of the status of the element of atomic number zero or “neutronium”. According to him, it is more cautious from both a scientific and a philosophical standpoint, to think of the neutron just as a structural component of an element.

An element of atomic number zero?
Martín Labarca, New J. Chem., 2016, 40, 9002-9006. DOI: 10.1039/C6NJ02076C.

Browse the full table of contents of the November issue to discover the other studies conducted by our authors here.

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NJC issue 10 now online

NJC Oct 2016 OFC - Prof. HanusaThe October outside cover is proposed by Prof. Timothy P. Hanusa (Vanderbilt University, USA). In this article, the authors report a series of heavy alkaline-earth iodide coordination compounds containing various neutral donor ligands: phosphine oxides, ureas and the nitrobenzene dimer. These donors were chosen for their range of basicity and steric demand, to determine how well they could compete with the iodide ligand. The observed reactivity patterns suggest that ureas deserve more widespread use in group 2 chemistry, as they have a basicity that exceeds that of phosphine oxides, are available with a variety of substituents, and are inexpensive.

Selective modification of the metal coordination environment in heavy alkaline-earth iodide complexes
Lacey S. Fitts, Eric J. Bierschenk, Timothy P. Hanusa,* Arnold L. Rheingold, Maren Pink and Victor G. Young, Jr. New J. Chem., 2016, 40, 8229-8238. DOI: 10.1039/C6NJ01713D.

Do not hesitate to browse the entire table of contents of the October issue to discover the 9 Letters and 86 Articles. Click here!

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NJC issue 09 now online

New Journal of Chemistry presents the collection of Letters and Articles of the September issue.

NJC OFC Sept 2016 - Dr GuoThis month, the outside cover is proposed by Dr Jinbao Guo (Beijing University of Chemical Technology, China). In their work, the authors develop a facile bilayered structural device composed of a silver nanoparticle array with a liquid crystal elastomer. The device is elastic and changes color by sensing deformations induced by changing temperature, attributed to alignment of the liquid crystal molecules induced by the nanoparticle array. This actuator design could be a promising candidate for smart environmental-responsive devices such as thermal-camouflage skin and color-changing actuators.

A color-changing plasmonic actuator based on silver nanoparticle array/liquid crystalline elastomer nanocomposites
Yang Shi, Chao Zhu, Juntao Li, Jie Wei and Jinbao Guo, New J. Chem., 2016, 40, 7311-7319. DOI: 10.1039/C6NJ00492J.

NJC OFC Sept 2016 - Dr Mazej

Miss Maruša Mazej designed the inside cover to illustrate a study by Dr Zoran Mazej and his colleague Dr Goreshnik (Jožef Stefan Institute, Slovenia). Based on a short communication published in 1976 presenting three compounds described as XeF6·TiF4, 4XeF6·TiF4 and XeF6·2TiF4, and on the synthesis of [XeF5]3[Ti4F19] (i.e. 3XeF6·4TiF4) published in 2009, the authors reveal in this study the crystal structures of these 3 compounds, which can be formulated as XeF5TiF5, [XeF5]5[Ti10F45] and [XeF5][Ti3F13]. [XeF5]5[Ti10F45] contains the largest known discrete decameric [Ti10F45]5− anion built from ten TiF6 octahedra that share vertices and that are arranged in a double-star shape.

Largest perfluorometallate [Ti10F45]5− oligomer and polymeric ([Ti3F13]) and ([TiF5]) anions prepared as [XeF5]+ salts
Zoran Mazej and Evgeny A. Goreshnika, New J. Chem., 2016, 40, 7320-7325. DOI: 10.1039/C6NJ00955G.

Discover the full contents of the September issue here.

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Top 10 Reviewers for New Journal of Chemistry

In celebration of Peer Review Week, with the theme of Recognition for Review – we would like to highlight the top 10 reviewers for New Journal of Chemistry in 2016, as selected by the editor for their significant contribution to the journal.

Name Institution
Dr Jiaguo Yu Wuhan University of Technology
Dr Qiongyou Wu Central China Normal University
Professor Stephen  Hashmi Universität Heidelberg
Dr Yi Xia Chongqing University
Professor Feihe Huang Zhejiang University
Professor Antonio Frontera Universitat de les Illes Balears
Professor Toshiaki Murai Gifu University
Professor Jonathan  Lindsey North Carolina State University
Dr Jean Lessard Sherbrooke University
Dr Adrian Ruff Ruhr-Uni-Bochum

We would like to say a massive thank you to these reviewers as well as the New Journal of Chemistry board and all of the research community for their continued support of the journal, as authors, reviewers and readers.

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NJC Poster Prize Winners at Metals and Genetics Meeting

At the 6th International Conference on Metals and Genetics, these three young Indian scientists were honored for their outstanding work.

Three young scientists were recognized for their contributions at the 6th International Conference on Metals and Genetics, which took place earlier this year at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore.

The winners (in no particular order) of the NJC Poster Prizes awarded at this conference were:

Mr Vadde Ramu, National Chemical Laboratory, Pune
Poster title: New imaging reagents for lipid dense regions in live cells and the nucleus in fixed MCF-7 cells

The presented work is part of Vadde’s Ph.D. thesis, carried out under the supervision of Dr. Amitava Das. Vadde will be defending his thesis work this month and is moving to Jena for a post-doctoral position in October.

The presented research work demonstrated the design and synthesis of two new uracil (U) and 5-flurouracil (5-FU) labelled ruthenium(II)-polypyridyl based cellular imaging reagents. These two complexes were found to show affinity towards DNA in the nucleus of the PFA fixed cells. A large Stokes shift (λ = 160 nm) and an appreciably long-lived 3MLCT excited state (λ = 320 ns) in aq. buffer medium (pH 7.4) are other key features of these complexes. Unlike the common nuclear DNA staining reagents like DAPI, these low-cytotoxic reagents are found to be highly stable towards photo-bleaching upon irradiation with λ > 455 nm at the MLCT band for these complexes.

Mr Samsuzzoha Mondal, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai
Poster title: Sensing Signalling Phospholipids with ‘Lanthano-proteins’

Samsuzzoha is a Ph.D. student working in the group of Dr. Ankona Datta. He is in his final year and expects to defend his degree in mid-2017.

His present research is about developing fluorescent probes for imaging the crucial phospholipids involved in cell signaling processes. Currently available genetically encoded fluorescent probes lack ‘on-off’ sensing and have problems with background signal. Hence tracking the spatio-temporal dynamics of phospholipids in a live cellular process with those fluorescent proteins is challenging. The authors are addressing this issue by developing novel fluorescent probes with ‘turn on’ or ‘ratiometric’ fluorescence sensing. The poster presents a ‘lanthano’-protein based ‘turn on’ sensor for phosphatidylserine, a phospholipid involved in cell-death signals mediation and several other signaling processes. Additionally, a recently developed, cell permeable, ratiometric sensor for phosphoinositides, the most important signaling phospholipids in the cellular system, is demonstrated.


Ms Tandrila Das, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
Poster title: Vacancy-Engineered Nanoceria: Enzyme Mimetic Hotspots for the degradation of Nerve Agents

Tandrila did the work presented in the poster as a 5th year BS-MS student under the direction of Prof. Govindasamy Mugesh. She is now a 1st year student in the Tri-Institutional Ph.D. program in chemical biology offered by Weill Cornell Medicine, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and The Rockefeller University (all located in New York City).

The study of phosphotriesterase (PTE) enzymes and synthesis of its structural and functional mimics has been a long time interest of the lab. PTE enzymes degrade organophosphorus nerve agents, which are known to inhibit acetylcholine esterase, thus resulting in paralysis, respiratory failure, etc.  For her Master’s thesis, Tandrila worked on developing a nano-mimic of PTE enzyme. The poster work showed that vacancy engineered nanoceria (CeO2) with Ce in both +3 and +4 oxidation states very efficiently act as a catalyst to hydrolyze organophosphorus nerve agents like paraoxon, parathion, etc.

(The photo shows Tandrila on the left with co-author Dr Amit Vernekar, currently a post-doc in the Lippard group at MIT.)

Congratulations to the 3 laureates, and best wishes for continuing success in their research and careers.

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Most accessed NJC articles from January – June 2016

Graphical AbstractFrom January – March, our most downloaded NJC articles were:

Recent advances in iron complexes as potential anticancer agents
Waseem A. Wani, Umair Baig, Sheikh Shreaz, Rayees Ahmad Shiekh, Prince Firdous Iqbal, Ehtesham Jameel, Akil Ahmad, Siti Hamidah Mohd-Setapar, Md. Mushtaque and Lee Ting Hun
New J. Chem., 2016,40, 1063-1090
DOI: 10.1039/C5NJ01449B, Perspective

Christoph Janiak and Jana K. Vieth
New J. Chem., 2010,34, 2366-2388
DOI: 10.1039/C0NJ00275E, Perspective

Naoki Toshima and Tetsu Yonezawa
New J. Chem., 1998,22, 1179-1201
DOI: 10.1039/A805753B, Paper

Jianhua Shen, Yihua Zhu, Xiaoling Yang, Jie Zong, Jianmei Zhang and Chunzhong Li
New J. Chem., 2012,36, 97-101
DOI: 10.1039/C1NJ20658C, Paper

Felix Jeremias, Dominik Fröhlich, Christoph Janiak and Stefan K. Henninger
New J. Chem., 2014,38, 1846-1852
DOI: 10.1039/C3NJ01556D, Focus

Sadia Khalid, Ejaz Ahmed, M. Azad Malik, David J. Lewis, Shahzad Abu Bakar, Yaqoob Khan and Paul O’Brien
New J. Chem., 2015,39, 1013-1021
DOI: 10.1039/C4NJ01461H, Paper

Zheng Ma, Hai Ming, Hui Huang, Yang Liu and Zhenhui Kang
New J. Chem., 2012,36, 861-864
DOI: 10.1039/C2NJ20942J, Letter

Dae Won Cho and Dae Won Cho
New J. Chem., 2014,38, 2233-2236
DOI: 10.1039/C3NJ01473H, Letter

Huihui Lin, Chuanxi Wang, Jiapeng Wu, Zhenzhu Xu, Yijun Huang and Chi Zhang
New J. Chem., 2015,39, 8492-8497
DOI: 10.1039/C5NJ01698C, Paper

Sajid Ali Ansari, Mohammad Mansoob Khan, Mohd Omaish Ansari and Moo Hwan Cho
New J. Chem., 2016,40, 3000-3009
DOI: 10.1039/C5NJ03478G, Perspective

Xiangcheng Sun, Pavle V. Radovanovic and Bo Cui
New J. Chem., 2015,39, 38-63
DOI: 10.1039/C4NJ01390E, Perspective

Fo Bai, Hao Huang, Changmin Hou and Ping Zhang
New J. Chem., 2016,40, 1679-1684
DOI: 10.1039/C5NJ02892B, Paper

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