RSC Advances Blog

Although catalytic converters are crucial in the fight against air pollution, they do release palladium into the environment © Shutterstock

Genetically modified Escherichia coli can synthesise a protein that could work as a palladium biosorbent to recover the precious metal from polluted water, new research shows. 

Catalytic converters are hugely important for controlling car exhaust fumes but small amounts of the palladium, and other platinum group elements, that form their main active component are leaking into and contaminating the environment. ‘Global palladium resources are scarce,’ warns sustainability expert Magdalena Titirici, of Queen Mary University of London, UK, who was not involved in the study. ‘Therefore recovering noble metals such as palladium from the urban environment using low cost and environmentally friendly adsorbents is of major importance.’

To read the full article visit Chemistry World.

Designed biomolecule–cellulose complexes for palladium recovery and detoxification
Ian Sofian Yunus and Shen-Long Tsai  
RSC Adv., 2015,5, 20276-20282
DOI: 10.1039/C4RA16200E, Paper

In the early days of wooing my current beau, I tried to impress by claiming my homemade burgers were superior to all in the land. A bold claim, you’d agree, so the scientist in me amended that to ‘probably superior’. Anyway, I went to prepare said burgers with my secret recipe. In preparation, I defrosted the mince from the freezer that day, only to return to find the meat had gone a bit brown and smelled a bit, well, weird. (I still made the burgers and they didn’t taste so good, but as I said, it was the early days so we both pretended not to notice.)

Pedro Guerrero and colleagues have now developed a way of applying natural soy protein coatings to beef patties, extending their shelf-life stability. Writing in RSC Advances, they describe how these coatings provide a barrier to oxygen, delaying the formation of that brown colour (metmyoglobin) and unpleasant odour and taste.

Although synthetic antioxidants are known in the industry to prevent food spoiling, consumers are increasingly interested in the journey that their food has taken from farm to fork. Guerrero and co-workers successfully demonstrate the development and application of a soy-based coating to meat patties through the successful preservation of the meat compared to uncoated patties. They investigated the degree of lipid oxidation, microbiological content and texture changes. And, in the name of science, some people took part in a taste test, which I am sure was a burden.

As people try to eat as naturally as possible and reduce food waste, soy coatings could be a contender for increased customer satisfaction.

To find out more, click below to read the full article in RSC Advances.

Application of soy protein coatings and their effect on the quality and shelf-life stability of beef patties, Pedro Guerrero, Maurice G. O’Sullivan, Joe P. Kerry and Koro de la Caba, RSC Adv., 2015, 5, 8182-8189 (DOI: 10.1039/C4RA13421D)

Sarah Brown is a guest web-writer for RSC Advances. Sarah hung up her lab coat after finishing her PhD and post-doctorate in nanotechnology for diagnostics and therapeutics and now works in academic publishing. When not trying to explain science through ridiculous analogies, you can often find her crocheting, baking or climbing, but not all at once.

The shock wave device does not need to touch the mouse to trigger the drug release

Scientists in India have developed a shock wave-based drug delivery system that could be used to administer insulin in diabetic patients and reduce the need for painful injections. A similar strategy could also increase the efficacy of antibiotic treatment to diabetic wounds.

In recent years, stimuli responsive drug delivery systems have come to the fore. Such systems enable greater control over where and when drugs are released in the body, ultimately providing more localised and sustained treatment with better overall results. Systems that are responsive to external stimuli such as ultrasound, infrared light and magnetic fields have all been reported, but often require specialist equipment that can be expensive to buy or difficult to operate, and this has limited their application in real clinical situations.

To read the full article please visit Chemistry World.

Remotely triggered micro-shock wave responsive drug delivery system for resolving diabetic wound infection and controlling blood sugar levels
Divya Prakash Gnanadhas, Monalisha Elango, Midhun Ben Thomas, Jagadeesh Gopalan and Dipshikha Chakravortty  
RSC Adv., 2015,5, 13234-13238
DOI: 10.1039/C4RA15270K, Paper

Supercapacitors are used in memory backup systems and portable electronics as well as high-power devices © Shutterstock

Researchers in the UK have designed a simple and inexpensive circuit that can linearise the charge–discharge behaviour of a capacitor. This could solve one of the most important problems plaguing the development of supercapacitors – the need for a straightforward measurement method for the amount of electrical charge they can store at a given voltage, known as capacitance. 

The circuit, reported by the group of Craig Banks at Manchester Metropolitan University, can be added to researchers’ existing cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and galvanostatic charge–discharge setups. It requires only two precise resistors and a variable capacitor of similar capacitance to the supercapacitor under investigation, components which cost as little as £5.

To read the full article visit Chemistry World.

A new approach for the improved interpretation of capacitance measurements for materials utilised in energy storage
Dimitrios K. Kampouris, Xiaobo Ji, Edward P. Randviir and Craig E. Banks  
RSC Adv., 2015,5, 12782-12791
DOI: 10.1039/C4RA17132B, Paper

Researchers in Brazil have created floating blocks that could be added to stagnant water to suppress the transmission of dengue fever.

The floating bricks support an iron oxide catalyst

Over 40% of the world’s population is thought to be at risk from dengue, according to World Health Organization estimates. It is spread through the bite of the Aedes aegypti mosquito and symptoms include high fever, joint pain and vomiting.

To read the full article please visit Chemistry World.

A photocatalytic process for the eradication of dengue through ˙OH generation in the presence of sunlight and iron oxide
G. V. Pereira, V. A. Freitas, H. S. Oliveira, L. C. A. Oliveira and  J. C. Belchior 
RSC Adv., 2014,4, 63650-63654
DOI: 10.1039/C4RA13435D

A methyl cellulose–carrageenan foam

Long-life foams that can act as oceanic mirrors are being explored by scientists in the UK. These reflective foams could one day ease global warming by managing incoming solar radiation. 

Planetary albedo is the proportion of sunlight reflected by Earth’s surface; two main areas contribute – land and ocean. Oceanic albedo is primarily caused by naturally occurring bubbles or foams produced by surface waves called whitecaps. They create an oceanic mirror but without them, ocean reflectance is only around 5%. Whitecaps, however, are short-lived, urging research into persistent foams that boost albedo.  

To read the full article visit Chemistry World.

Long-term stabilization of reflective foams in sea water
Alex Aziz, Helen C. Hailes, John M. Ward and Julian R. G. Evans  
RSC Adv., 2014,4, 53028-53036
DOI: 10.1039/C4RA08714C

Water droplets form spherical shapes on the composite’s surface

Scientists in China have made a mechanically stable superhydrophobic material from waste silicone.

Posted on behalf of Sarah Brown, web writer for RSC Advances

‘Waste not, want not’ my mother dearest would say, a strong proponent of cling-film and pourer of scorn on sell-by dates.  She would be delighted to read that scientists have been able to produce potential scaffolds for bone grafts from beer production waste.

The waste contains phosphorous, silicon, magnesium and calcium – the main components of bone – making it an ideal candidate to develop treatments, coatings, grafts and implants for osteo-based trauma.

Osteoblasts grown on a 3D biomaterial matrix

Reporting their work in RSC Advances, M. Angeles Martin-Luengo and co-workers investigated the residues from three different beer production plants in Spain to determine whether their origin would affect their suitability as biomaterial precursors.

The authors performed in vitro cell proliferation assays in the presence of the beer waste materials of different plants and found no discernable difference between the different wastes. No cytotoxicity was observed either, encouraging further investigations into their use in bone tissue engineering.

One of the major advantages of using beer production waste is the reduced cost in producing these medical aids compared with conventional materials. While commercial materials currently sell at $150 per gram, beer production waste costs around $40 per ton.

In short, these potential biomaterials are environmentally and economically friendly – I’ll drink to that! 

Interested in finding out more? Read the full article using the link below:

Preparation, characterization and in vitro osteoblast growth of waste-derived biomaterials 
M. Angeles Martin-Luengo and co-workers
RSC Adv.,2014, 4, 12630-12639

Sarah Brown is a guest web-writer for RSC Advances. Sarah hung up her lab coat after finishing her PhD and post-doctorate in nanotechnology for diagnostics and therapeutics and now works in academic publishing. When not trying to explain science through ridiculous analogies, you can often find her crocheting, baking or climbing, but not all at once.