Author Archive

RSC Advances HOT articles – a feature interview with Selma Leulmi Pichot

We are very pleased to introduce Dr Selma Leulmi Pichot, the corresponding author of the paper Versatile magnetic microdiscs for the radio enhancement and mechanical disruption of glioblastoma cancer cells. Her article has been very well received and handpicked by our reviewers and handling editors as one of our February HOT articles. Selma was kind enough to tell us more about the work that went into this article and what she hopes to achieve in the future. You can find out more about the author and their article below and find more HOT articles in our online collection.

Meet the Author

Selma Pichot

 

Selma Pichot completed her undergraduate engineering degree in Biology at the University of Algiers (Algeria), before moving to France for a Research Master in Nanosciences, with a focus in Nanobiotechnologies. After completing a PhD in Physics for life science at the University of Grenoble in 2014, she took up a research associate position with Professor Cowburn at the University of Cambridge to work on the use of magnetic micro and nanostructures for biological and biomedical applications.

 

 

 

Could you briefly explain the focus of your article to the non-specialist (in one or two sentences only) and why it is of current interest?
Our article describes the use of a new type of magnetic microparticle to improve the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme, the most aggressive form of brain cancer.

How big an impact could your results potentially have?
Our results demonstrate that we have powerful tools that can efficiently contribute to improve the current treatment of glioblastoma. Moreover, when used as an adjunct to surgery, the magnetic microdiscs have the potential to shorten the course of radiation therapy in countries where access to radiation therapy is scarce.

Could you explain the motivation behind this study?
Glioblastoma is the most aggressive form of brain cancer, with a median survival for diagnosed patients being 12-15 months with actual treatment modalities. With such a terrible prognosis, we believe current advances in magnetism and nanotechnology could provide new insights to open up the current bottlenecks in the treatment of this devastating disease.

In your opinion, what are the key design considerations for your study?
To conduct such a study, we must first have microdiscs that have perfectly controlled magnetic behavior. This includes the fact that they do not agglomerate in liquid, and that they can deliver significant forces when activated by a magnetic field, in order to destabilize the internal structures of cancer cells. Another important element is the fact that the microdiscs must be able to reach a suitable cellular location to enhance the effect of the radiotherapy very locally, at the intracellular level.

Which part of the work towards this paper proved to be most challenging?
The first challenging aspect of this work is to construct high quality magnetic microdiscs with the specific desired properties. The microdiscs are fabricated by the deposition of ultra thin films of alternating layers of magnetic and non magnetic materials. Inspired by processes often used in the manufacture of MRAM magnetic memory devices, we control these film thicknesses with sub-nanometre resolution. Another important part of the work was in the optimisation of the experimental parameters for the in vitro testing with the cancer cells to ensure that our testing methodology was robust.

What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment?
At the moment, I am very excited in using cutting edge physics to solve current challenges in areas like cancer biology and more recently, in microbiology. There are also a variety of new directions that would be very interesting to explore in the field of neurobiology and the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases for example.

What is the next step? What work is planned?
Of course after such positive results, we would like to take this work a step further. Now that we have a good proof of concept on our initial hypothesis, we would like to translate our results into a realistic in vitro model. This includes for example the use of patient derived cancer cells to construct 3D structures that structurally and functionally mimics the glioblastoma tumoral cavity. A very important aspect is to continue working closely with clinicians to translate this research into clinic.

 

Versatile magnetic microdiscs for the radio enhancement and mechanical disruption of glioblastoma cancer cells
Selma Leulmi Pichot, Sabrina Bentouati, Saif S. Ahmad, Marios Sotiropoulos, Raj Jenab and Russell Cowburn
RSC Adv., 2020, 10, 8161-8171
DOI: 10.1039/D0RA00164C, Paper

D0RA00164C

 

 

RSC Advances Royal Society of ChemistrySubmit to RSC Advances today! Check out our author guidelines for information on our article types or find out more about the advantages of publishing in a Royal Society of Chemistry journal.

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Read our latest Editors’ Collection on Food by Associate Editor Maria Angela A. Meireles

We are delighted to share with you our latest collection of recently published articles focusing on Food, handpicked by Associate Editor Maria Angela A. Meireles.

The collection features research with the area of Food Engineering, Science, Technology, and Nutrition, illustrating the multidisciplinary aspects of this field that produces exciting research. The collection shows a fascinating relationship between the various fields involved in the subject area of Food. From articles that deal with the cultivation, livestock, etc. to articles dealing with the effects of metabolites in the human gut microbiota. There are articles on new sources of fibers and other bioactive compounds.

As one of the largest gold open access chemistry journals in the world, all publications in RSC Advances are free to access. We hope you enjoy reading these articles.

We invite you to submit your research to this collection and give your work the global visibility it deserves.

 

Submit your research now

 

Featured articles:

Facile construction of magnetic core–shell covalent organic frameworks as efficient solid-phase extraction adsorbents for highly sensitive determination of sulfonamide residues against complex food sample matrices
Jing-Min Liu, Shi-Wen Lv, Xin-Yue Yuan, Hui-Lin Liu and Shuo Wang
RSC Adv., 2019, 9, 14247-14253. DOI: 10.1039/C9RA01879D

Antioxidative and antimicrobial edible chitosan films blended with stem, leaf and seed extracts of Pistacia terebinthus for active food packaging
Murat Kaya, Sanaz Khadem, Yavuz Selim Cakmak, Muhammad Mujtaba, Sedef Ilk, Lalehan Akyuz, Asier M. Salaberria, Jalel Labidi, Ako Hamasaeed Abdulqadir and Engin Deligöz
RSC Adv., 2018, 8, 3941-3950. DOI: 10.1039/C7RA12070B

Products of sugar beet processing as raw materials for chemicals and biodegradable polymers
J. Tomaszewska, D. Bieliński, M. Binczarski, J. Berlowska, P. Dziugan, J. Piotrowski, A. Stanishevsky and I. A. Witońska
RSC Adv., 2018, 8, 3161-3177. DOI: 10.1039/C7RA12782K

 

Read the full collection here

Meet the Editor

Angela Meireles. RSC Advances Associate Editor RSCEmployed for close to 34 years at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) in São Paulo, Brazil, Professor Meireles completed her PhD in Chemical Engineering at Iowa State University. Starting as an Assistant Professor in the School of Food Engineering in 1983, she has since become a Professor and has supervised 50 PhD dissertations, 30 MSc theses and approximately 72 undergraduate research projects. She has also coordinated scientific exchange projects between UNICAMP and European universities in France, Germany, Holland, and Spain. Angela has served as a Head of Department, as Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies of Food Engineering and as Associated Director at the Chemical, Biological, and Agricultural Pluridisciplinary Research Center.

Professor Meireles’ expertise helped her serve as the coordinator of Food Science for the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) between 2014 and 2018. She is a partner and innovative director of Bioativos Naturais, Ltd. and a current invited Professor at the School of Food Engineering at the University of Campinas.

 

RSC Advances Royal Society of ChemistrySubmit to RSC Advances today! Check out our author guidelines for information on our article types or find out more about the advantages of publishing in a Royal Society of Chemistry journal.

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RSC Advances 2019 Outstanding Reviewers

We are delighted to highlight the Outstanding Reviewers for RSC Advances in 2019, as selected by the editorial team, for their significant contribution to the journal. The reviewers have been chosen based on the quantity, quality and timeliness of the reports completed over the last 12 months.

A big thank you to those individuals listed here as well as to all of the reviewers on the RSC Advances reviewer panel who have supported the journal.

Each Outstanding Reviewer has received a certificate in recognition of their significant contribution.

Dr Arghya Adhikary, University of Calcutta
Professor Katsuhiko Ariga, Busshitsu Zairyo Kenkyu Kiko, ORCiD: 0000-0002-2445-2955
Dr Yaocai Bai, University of California Riverside, ORCiD: 0000-0003-3700-2520
Dr Xi Chen, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Dr Anindita Das, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), ORCiD: 0000-0001-8723-6291
Dr Nilesh Gaikwad, Gaikwad Steroidomics Lab LLC, ORCiD: 0000-0002-4990-4508
Professor Wei-Min He, Hunan University of Science and Engineering, ORCiD: 0000-0002-9481-6697
Dr Mark Honey, University of Greenwich, ORCiD: 0000-0001-7272-476X
Dr Dattatray Late, National Chemical Laboratory CSIR, ORCiD: 0000-0003-3007-7220
Dr Giuseppe Lazzara, University of Palermo, ORCiD: 0000-0003-1953-5817
Dr Samir Nuseibeh, University College London, ORCiD: 0000-0003-1787-636X
Dr Veli Ozalp, Konya Gida ve Tarim Universitesi
Dr Qingsen Shang, University of Michigan, ORCiD: 0000-0002-6782-3437
Dr Diptesh Sil, Atul Ltd, ORCiD: 0000-0001-6457-0545
Dr Steven Suib, University of Connecticut
Dr Balaram Takale, University of California Santa Barbara
Dr Xiaobin Wu, Shanghai Normal University
Dr Murat Yavuz, Dicle Universitesi, ORCiD: 0000-0003-3452-8551
Professor Wenwu Zhong, Taizhou University

 

Thank you to the RSC Advances board and our 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.

Keep up to date with our latest HOT articles, Reviews, Collections & more by following us on Twitter. You can also keep informed by signing up to our E-Alerts.

RSC Advances Royal Society of Chemistry

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RSC Advances Reviewer Panel: 2019 Outstanding Reviewers

We are delighted to highlight the Outstanding Reviewers for RSC Advances in 2019, as selected by the editorial team, for their significant contribution to the journal. The reviewers have been chosen from the reviewer panel based on the quantity, quality and timeliness of the reports completed over the last 12 months.

A big thank you to those individuals listed here as well as to all of the reviewers who have supported the journal.

Each Outstanding Reviewer has received a certificate in recognition of their significant contribution.

Dr Vipul Agarwal, University of New South Wales, ORCiD: 0000-0002-6239-5410
Dr Ashootosh Ambade, National Chemical Laboratory CSIR, ORCiD: 0000-0003-3605-5719
Dr Rok Borstnar, Kemijski institut, ORCiD: 0000-0002-6786-5434
Professor Lingxin Chen, Chinese Academy of Sciences, ORCiD: 0000-0002-3764-3515
Dr Ummadisetti Chinnarajesh, Indiana University Bloomington, ORCiD: 0000-0002-0065-2223
Dr Emanuele Curotto, Arcadia University
Dr Serap Evran, Ege Universitesi, ORCiD: 0000-0001-6676-4888
Dr Nicholas Geitner, Duke University, ORCiD: 0000-0003-4313-372X
Dr Prokopios Georgopanos, Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht Zentrum fur Materialforschung und Kustenforschung, ORCiD: 0000-0002-6394-0628
Dr S. Girish Kumar, CMR University, ORCiD: 0000-0001-9132-1202
Dr Hu Li, Guizhou University, ORCiD: 0000-0003-3604-9271
Dr Jianmin Li, Zhejiang University, ORCiD: 0000-0002-3917-8653
Dr Shiwei Qu, Scripps Research Institute, ORCiD: 0000-0002-9358-066X
Dr Leo Small, Sandia National Laboratories, ORCiD: 0000-0003-0404-6287
Professor David Thompson, Sam Houston State University, ORCiD: 0000-0002-2934-5729
Dr Maria Timofeeva, FGBUN Institut kataliza im G K Boreskova Sibirskogo otdelenia Rossijskoj akademii nauk
Dr Paul Trippier, University of Nebraska Medical Center, ORCiD: 0000-0002-4947-5782
Dr Mark Waterland, Massey University, ORCiD: 0000-0002-8493-9407
Professor Chunping Yang, Hunan University, ORCiD: 0000-0003-3987-2722
Professor Lei Yu, Yangzhou University

 

Thank you to the RSC Advances board and our 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.

Keep up to date with our latest HOT articles, Reviews, Collections & more by following us on Twitter. You can also keep informed by signing up to our E-Alerts.

RSC Advances Royal Society of Chemistry

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RSC Advances HOT articles – a feature interview with Dr Sheta M. Sheta

We are very pleased to introduce Dr Sheta M. Sheta, corresponding author of the paper A novel cerium(iii)–isatin Schiff base complex: spectrofluorometric and DFT studies and application as a kidney biomarker for ultrasensitive detection of human creatinine‘. The article has been very well received and handpicked by our reviewers and handling editors as one of our February HOT articles. Sheta was kind enough to tell us more about the work that went into this article and what he hopes to achieve in the future. You can find out more about the author and his article below and find more HOT articles in our online collection.

 

Meet the Author

Dr Sheta

Dr Sheta obtained his BSc and Masters degrees in applied chemistry from Helwan University, Egypt in 2004 and 2010 respectively. Following this, he joined the National Research Centre, Egypt in 2013 and obtained his PhD in inorganic-analytical chemistry from Ain Shams University, Egypt in 2015. His research interests include the preparation, characterization and application of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), complexes, nanomaterials in general and specifically sensors, biosensors, medical laboratories, innovation and development of analytical techniques and methodologies for tumor markers, drugs and hormones determinations and biological activities studies as well as nano-catalysis and nano-ceramic materials. Dr. Sheta is also interested in nanostructured mesoporous materials and transition metal nanowires and particles, treatment of wastewater with conventional and advanced technologies, advanced oxidation technologies, nano-ceramic materials for advanced applications such as surface coatings and the reinforcement and conversion of CO2 to renewable fuel. In addition, he has experience in waste treatment/recycling and environmental pollution control, removal of bacteria and algae from fresh and marine waters. He has organized and coordinated local and international events and often speaks at international conferences/symposia. He serves as an Editorial board member and reviewer of several reputed international journals.

 

Could you briefly explain the focus of your article to the non-specialist (in one or two sentences only) and why it is of current interest?
This work introduced a novel and promising analytical tool for the detection and quantification of creatinine as one of the most important kidney biomarkers.

How big an impact could your results potentially have?
The results showed a simple, low cost analytical tool with a fast response time, high sensitivity, high accuracy/precision, reproducibility, applicability, a lower limit of detection/quantification than in previously published reports and good recovery in the determination of creatinine in various real samples (serum/plasma).

Could you explain the motivation behind this study?
• Strengthening the national income related to import many tools and devices like pregnancy strips, diabetes devices and more.
• Applying nanotechnology to synthesize smart and advanced materials that can improve the efficiency of the target device.
• Trying to produce a prototype that is more selective, sensitive, costs less and is simple and fast compared to those available on the market.

In your opinion, what are the key design considerations for your study?
• Preparation of a novel nanomaterial step
• Characterization step
• DFT study
• Application step

Which part of the work towards this paper proved to be most challenging?
The characterization of the prepared compounds.

What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment?
Studying the anticancer and biological activities of the prepared compounds and the transferring of the research methodology to small device.

What is the next step? What work is planned?
Based on the point-of-care testing (POCT) systems and near patient testing devices, we will to try to transfer the research methodology to small device.

 

A novel cerium(iii)–isatin Schiff base complex: spectrofluorometric and DFT studies and application as a kidney biomarker for ultrasensitive detection of human creatinine
Sheta M. Sheta, Magda A. Akl, Heba E. Saad and El-Sayed R. H. El-Gharkawy
RSC Adv., 2020, 10, 5853-5863
DOI: 10.1039/C9RA10133K , Paper

C9RA10133K

 

 

RSC Advances Royal Society of ChemistrySubmit to RSC Advances today! Check out our author guidelines for information on our article types or find out more about the advantages of publishing in a Royal Society of Chemistry journal.

Keep up to date with our latest HOT articles, Reviews, Collections & more by following us on Twitter. You can also keep informed by signing up to our E-Alerts.

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XIII International School on Organometallic Chemistry “Marcial Moreno Mañas” (MMM School 2020)

XIII International School on Organometallic Chemistry “Marcial Moreno Mañas” (MMM School 2020)

 

We are very pleased to be sponsoring the XIII International School on Organometallic Chemistry “Marcial Moreno Mañas” (MMM School 2020) along with Dalton Transactions. It will be held from 17th to 19th June in Santiago de Compostela. The meeting aims to get together young students, early career researchers and world-leading scientists to facilitate and generate an exchange of scientific information and knowledge. The school will feature: 8 plenary lectures, and a large number of oral and flash presentations.

 

Registration is open now!

 

Important Dates

Oral & Poster Abstracts Deadline: 03 April
Early Bird Registration Deadline: 24 April
Standard Registraion Deadline: 29 May

 

You can find out more here

 

RSC Advances Royal Society of Chemistry

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RSC Advances Editors’ Collections: 2019 – 2020

Have you been enjoying our monthly Editors’ Collections? We’ve certainly loved putting them together! Each collection is curated by one of our expert Associate Editors, focuses on a specific topic  and includes lots of great articles from RSC Advances over the past few years.

In case you’ve missed any, we have collected all of our 2019 & 2020 collections in one place. For each Editor involved we have linked blog posts, these include a selection of featured articles and a ‘Meet the Editor’ section, as well as the full collections. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for our future Editors’ Collections, we have some great topics lined up for the rest of 2020.

Happy reading!

Professor Leyong Wang, RSC Advances Associate Editor, Editor's Collection: Supramolecular Chemistry

Supramolecular Chemistry  Leyong Wang
Blog Post | Full Collection

Pablo Denis, RSC Advances Associate Editor

Graphene Pablo Denis
Blog Post | Full Collection

RSC Advances Associate Editor Thierry Ollevier

Catalytic Organic Transformations Thierry Ollevier
Blog Post | Full Collection

Andrea Pucci, RSC Advances Associate Editor Royal Society of Chemistry

Fluorescent SensorsAndrea Pucci
Blog Post | Full Collection

Chemical Biology Amanda Garner
Blog Post | Full Collection

CO2 Capture/reduction Carlos D. Garcia
Blog Post | Full Collection

Fabienne Dumoulin, RSC Advances Associate Editor, Royal Society of Chemistry

Photodynamic Therapy – Fabienne Dumoulin
Blog Post | Full Collection

Antimicrobial Polymers Roberto Rosal
Blog Post | Full Collection

Physical Chemistry of Colloids and Interfaces – Juan J. Giner-Casares
Blog Post | Full Collection

RSC Advances Royal Society of Chemistry

Submit to RSC Advances today! Check out our author guidelines for information on our article types or find out more about the advantages of publishing in a Royal Society of Chemistry journal.

Keep up to date with our latest HOT articles, Reviews, Collections & more by following us on Twitter. You can also keep informed by signing up to our E-Alerts.

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RSC Advances HOT articles – a feature interview with Juan A. Allegretto and Matías Rafti

We are very pleased to introduce Juan A. Allegretto and Matías Rafti, authors of the paper Synthesis and characterization of thermoresponsive ZIF-8@PNIPAm-co-MAA microgel composites with enhanced performance as an adsorption/release platform‘. Their article has been very well received and handpicked by our reviewers and handling editors as one of our HOT articles. Matías was kind enough to tell us more about the work that went into this article and what they hope to achieve in the future. You can find out more about the authors and their article below and find more HOT articles in our online collection.

Meet the Authors

Juan A. Allegretto

 

Juan A. Allegretto holds a Chemistry BSc from the National University of La Plata (Universidad Nacional de La Plata – 2016), and currently conducts a PhD project related to MOFs synthesis and integration into diverse composites at the Universidad de San Martin, Argentina under the supervision of Professor Omar Azzaroni and Dr. Matías Rafti at SoftMatter Lab-INIFTA-UNLP with an scholarship granted by CONICET.

 

Matías Rafti

 

Dr Matías Rafti holds a Chemistry BSc from the National University of La Plata (Universidad Nacional de La Plata – 2003), and completed a PhD project on simulations and experiments for Heterogenous Catalysis under vacuum conditions, (2007, Prof. Vicente (Argentina, UNLP), and Prof. Imbihl (PCI, University of Hannover, Germany). He is currently a Staff Researcher at CONICET-Argentina and docent at the SoftMatter Lab-INIFTA-UNLP. Our current projects take advantage of both the synergy arising from close-collaboration with lab members with diverse expertise (e.g., x-ray scattering techniques, organic synthesis, electrochemistry, colloidal chemistry), and the wide range of available techniques allowing for a thorough physical and chemical characterization; in order to pursue the synthesis of MOF composite materials (either in colloidal suspensions or film configuration) with potential for applications in energy-related and sensing technologies.

 

Synthesis and characterization of thermoresponsive ZIF-8@PNIPAm-co-MAA microgel composites with enhanced performance as an adsorption/release platform

 

Could you briefly explain the focus of your article to the non-specialist (in one or two sentences only) and why it is of current interest?
We aim to develop integrated materials (aka “composites”) using building blocks which would bring different features together; to combine such components in a robust composite while maintaining functionality is a non-trivial task. Taking advantage of the expertise developed in our lab covering aspects of polymer science (softmatter) and (somehow “harder”) porous polymers (Metal Organic Frameworks or MOFs); we developed a straightforward strategy which yields MOF@Polymeric_Microgel composites featuring stimuli-responsiveness (microgel) and enhanced surface area available for adsorption (MOF).

How big an impact could your results potentially have?
The novel strategy presented is very versatile, the Zn-based ZIF-8 MOF used as proof-of-concept could be easily replaced by other MOFs, which were already employed in many interesting applications beyond adsorption. Furthermore, the MOF/Microgel composition of such highly integrated composites can be controlled, thus opening the path to new design strategies towards stimuli-responsive adsorbants.

Could you explain the motivation behind this study?
This work was inspired by our experience working with stimuli responsive polymeric materials and the idea of conferring such an interesting platform with additional features. We had also been working recently in the synthesis of various MOFs for diverse uses (eg. adsorption); such materials are known to suffer from hydrolysis under mild/strong conditions in aqueous environments, and such drawback hinders the otherwise immense field of applications possible. The idea behind the reported work aimed to extend the scope of uses of polymeric microgels by endowing them with high surface area; and at the same, to provide additional stability for the embedded MOF phase, thus broadening the range of conditions suitable for adsorption in aqueous environments.

In your opinion, what are the key design considerations for your study?
Our study is based in a meticulous selection of the composition and chemical nature of the different players, and basic chemistry notions: by introducing moieties into the microgel’s network capable to precoordinate or preconcentrate the Zn cations, we have taken advantage of the well-known coordination chemistry to direct its heterogeneous nucleation and growth of the crystalline ZIF-8 inside the microgel.

Which part of the work towards this paper proved to be most challenging?
The strategy for integration of MOF and microgel phases into the composite involves the use of a pre-coordination stage, in which metal ions were adsorbed onto exposed carboxylate moieties for subsequent MOF grow within the polymeric phase. The two main challenges we faced in the present work can be summarized as follows; i) finding the appropriate concentration of pre-coordinated ionic metal precursors for MOF growth (which can be controlled by many parameters; e.g., the amount of carboxylate moieties exposed in the microgel, or the concentration of Zn2+ ions and exposure time during the preconcentration stage); and ii) finding the appropriate conditions for controlling the swelling state of the microgel which would be compatible with MOF growth (i.e., methanol content, and ionic strength).

What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment?
In our laboratory we continually look for opportunities to combine the know-how developed in different research areas explored by staff researchers. In particular, we are very excited about the many possibilities opened by the integration of MOFs, MOFs/Polymers and MOFs/biomolecules composites into electrochemical platforms with applications in energy storage/conversion and biosensing.

What is the next step? What work is planned?
Regarding the work related to the present article, the next evident step would be to extend the characterization of the synthetized composite and to explore its possibilities as adsorptive platform. Specifically to explore new ways to confer selectivity and to acquire further control on loading/release mechanism.

 

Synthesis and characterization of thermoresponsive ZIF-8@PNIPAm-co-MAA microgel composites with enhanced performance as an adsorption/release platform
Juan A. Allegretto, Juan M. Giussi, Sergio E. Moya, Omar Azzaroni and Matias Rafti
RSC Adv., 2020, 10, 2453-2461
DOI: 10.1039/C9RA09729E , Paper

Synthesis and characterization of thermoresponsive ZIF-8@PNIPAm-co-MAA microgel composites with enhanced performance as an adsorption/release platform

 

 

RSC Advances Royal Society of ChemistrySubmit to RSC Advances today! Check out our author guidelines for information on our article types or find out more about the advantages of publishing in a Royal Society of Chemistry journal.

Keep up to date with our latest HOT articles, Reviews, Collections & more by following us on Twitter. You can also keep informed by signing up to our E-Alerts.

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RSC Advances HOT articles – a feature interview with Gerrard Marangoni

Meet the Author
gerrard-marangoniWe are very pleased to introduce Gerrard Marangoni, corresponding author of the paper ‘m-s-m cationic gemini and zwitterionic surfactants – a thermodynamic analysis of their mixed micelle formation‘ with Aleisha McLachlan, Kulbir Singh, Michael McAlduff, Samantha Shortall and Shawn D. Wettig. His article has been very well received and handpicked by our reviewers and handling editors as one of our HOT articles.

Gerrard was kind enough to tell us more about the work that went into this article and what he hopes to achieve in the future. You can find out more about Gerrard and his article below and find more HOT articles in our online collection.

Dr. Gerrard Marangoni is a Professor of Chemistry at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada. He began his research career in colloid science as an undergraduate and graduate student; he subsequently worked with Atomic Energy of Canada Limited on the thermodynamics of radioactive compounds, and since 1992 has been at StFX University in the Department of Chemistry studying self-assembly of amphiphilic compounds. He has over 25 years of experience in surfactant and colloidal chemistry, a number of highly cited publications, and is a named author on close to 100 research papers, reports, patents and patent applications. Dr. Marangoni is a co-founder of two startup companies a member of several scientific advisory committees.

 

Could you briefly explain the focus of your article to the non-specialist (in one or two sentences only) and why it is of current interest?
Mixed surfactants systems are important in a number of commercial applications – understanding how they interact on a molecular level is a first step to learning how to improve their performance.

How big an impact could your results potentially have?
For gemini surfactants, researchers are keenly aware of the contribution of the spacer groups towards their self-assembly – we now also appreciate that it can play a significant role in the self-assembly of mixed surfactants system with gemini and other surfactants.

Could you explain the motivation behind this study?
Synergism is often discussed from a thermodynamic standpoint, but rarely are the appropriate excess thermodynamic functions measured experimentally. From our previous investigation with these same systems, we observed some key differences in the synergistic effects due to a slight change in the length of the spacer group. We were eager to see how those differences (conclusions drawn from 2D NMR NOESY and conductivity experiments) showed up in the thermodynamic parameters of micelle formation; hence the calorimetry study.

In your opinion, what are the key design considerations for your study?
Calorimetric titration studies require careful attention to the design of each experiment with respect to concentration(s) of titrant, the size of each injection, and the number of injections. Poor design often results in a great deal of “trial and error” in order to obtain high quality thermodynamic/binding data.

Which part of the work towards this paper proved to be most challenging?
While our group has a great deal of experience with the calculation of the various thermodynamic parameters described in this work, the number of calculations involved, combined with the multiple thermodynamic models utilized make the calculations challenging.

What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment?
How well the results from the nmr experiments and calorimetry complemented each other!

What is the next step? What work is planned?
We are currently examining how the synergism extends to other key aspects and applications of surfactants (drug delivery, solubilization).

 

m-s-m cationic gemini and zwitterionic surfactants – a thermodynamic analysis of their mixed micelle formation
Aleisha McLachlan, Kulbir Singh, Michael McAlduff, D. Gerrard Marangoni, Samantha Shortall and Shawn D. Wettig
RSC Adv., 2020, 10, 3221-3232
DOI: 10.1039/C9RA09432F, Paper

m-s-m cationic gemini and zwitterionic surfactants – a thermodynamic analysis of their mixed micelle formation

 

 

 

RSC Advances Royal Society of Chemistry

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“Witnessing wonderful, innovative and exciting science”: an associate editor’s insight

Dr Donna Arnold, Associate Editor of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s RSC Advances, believes it’s vital that scientists contribute to their community by getting involved in the process of publishing high quality research.

Dr Donna Arnold is Senior Lecturer in Chemistry and Forensic Science at the University of Kent. Her PhD, undertaken at the Royal Institution of Great Britain, focussed on the structure and electronic properties of porous manganese oxides. She has since worked at the Foundation for Research and Technology in Crete and undertaken postdoctoral research at the University of St Andrews. Her research on functional nanomaterials at University College Cork earned her national recognition for her role in the design of the first patterned substrates manufactured by Intel to meet key research needs.

Q. What is your personal research focus, and what aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment?

I focus on new multifunctional materials for next-generation devices. In particular, my team are interested in synthesising materials with both magnetic and ferroelectric properties. Realising commercially useful materials of this kind would allow us to build memory devices which offer faster read/write capabilities while simultaneously requiring less energy to operate.

Q. What do you find most challenging about your research?

Research should be challenging. Without challenge there is no reward. That said, often the trickiest part is knowing when to share it with the scientific community. Do you wait until you have a complete picture, or do you share your findings as they come? There are pros and cons to both approaches and these vary depending on the project.

Q. Why did you decide to become an Associate Editor for RSC Advances?

I wanted to understand more about the publishing process, contribute to my community, improve my own submissions, and share knowledge and best practice. I applied to RSC Advances because it has a truly global readership across all areas of chemistry.

My role as Associate Editor gives me an opportunity to see the extensive, excellent work being performed in my area of expertise and to play a part in sharing this work with the wider research community.

Q. What is your favourite thing about the Associate Editor role?

It’s got to be witnessing the wonderful, innovative and exciting science being done worldwide. As researchers, our focus often becomes very narrow and we end up only reading within our direct area of interest. Being an Associate Editor means that I read a broad range of science. I’m constantly amazed by the innovative experiments that scientists perform!

Q. How does your role contribute to the journal and to the scientific community?

We all strive to publish our work and rely on these mechanisms to share knowledge and communicate our ideas – something that’s only achievable through the sensitive handling of papers by editorial staff and peer reviewers.

I hope that my contribution to the publishing of excellent science in RSC Advances inspires researchers and continues to drive science to new and exciting heights.

Q. If you had one piece of advice for authors submitting to RSC Advances, what would it be?

Include a cover letter with your submission which allows us to see where you think your work falls in the field and gives us a sense of the paper before we read it. Tell us why your work is cutting-edge and how it extends the current state of the art. What are the highlights? Why is it exciting? How does it fit within the scope of the journal?

Q. Who were your role models as a child, and did you always want to be a scientist?

I always wanted to be a scientist, although initially I wanted to be a pathologist (inspired by the TV show Quincy)! I later realised my true passion was for materials chemistry and that I really wanted to be an academic. I’ve been fortunate to have had some wonderful teachers and an incredibly supportive family, without whom this path would have been impossible.

Q. Which profession would you choose if you weren’t a researcher?

I’d like to think that I would have become a rock star or racing-car driver – although I lack the talent for both!

More realistically, I would have become a primary school teacher so that I could have inspired the next generation of researchers and scientists.

 

RSC Advances Royal Society of Chemistry

Submit to RSC Advances today! Check out our author guidelines for information on our article types or find out more about the advantages of publishing in a Royal Society of Chemistry journal.

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