April 2023 Popular Advances Articles

Welcome to April’s Popular Advances article round up!

Every month we update our 2023 RSC Advances Popular Advances Article Collection to showcase all of the articles selected by our reviewers and handling editors as Popular Advances in 2023. Don’t forget to come back next month to check out our latest Popular articles.

We hope you enjoy reading and as always, all of our articles are open access so you can easily share your favourites online and with your colleagues.

Explore the full collection!

Novel asymmetrical azines appending 1,3,4-thiadiazole sulfonamide: synthesis, molecular structure analyses, in silico ADME, and cytotoxic effect
Samir Bondock, Tallah Albarqi, Ibrahim A. Shaaban and Moaz M. Abdou
RSC Adv., 2023, 13, 10353-10366

A molybdenum disulfide/nickel ferrite-modified voltammetric sensing platform for ultra-sensitive determination of clenbuterol under the presence of an external magnetic field
Van Manh Tien, Van Hoang Ong, Tuyet Nhung Pham, Nguyen Quang Hoa, Thi Lan Nguyen, Pham Duc Thang, Le Khanh Vinh, Pham Thi Nhat Trinh, Doan Thi Ngoc Thanh, Le Minh Tung and Anh-Tuan Le
RSC Adv., 2023, 13, 10577-10591

Potential role of a novel biphenanthrene derivative isolated from Aerides falcata in central nervous system diseases
Bachtiar Rivai, Hasriadi, Peththa Wadu Dasuni Wasana, Chaisak Chansriniyom, Pasarapa Towiwat, Yanyong Punpreuk, Kittisak Likhitwitayawuid, Pornchai Rojsitthisak and Boonchoo Sritularak
RSC Adv., 2023,13, 10757-10767

Analysis and process evaluation of metal dopant (Zr, Cr)-promoted Ga-modified ZSM-5 for the oxidative dehydrogenation of propane in the presence and absence of CO2
Abbas Jawad and Sura Ahmed
RSC Adv., 2023, 13, 11081-11095

Valorization of homogeneous linear catechyl lignin: opportunities and challenges
Yibing Li, Xianzhi Meng, Rongqian Meng, Ting Cai, Yunqiao Pu, Zhi-Min Zhao and Arthur J. Ragauskas
RSC Adv., 2023, 13, 12750-12759

Salazinic acid attenuates male sexual dysfunction and testicular oxidative damage in streptozotocin-induced diabetic albino rats
Kishore Naidu Killari, Haritha Polimati, D. S. N. B. K. Prasanth, Gagandeep Singh, Siva Prasad Panda, Girija Sastry Vedula and Vinay Bharadwaj Tatipamula
RSC Adv., 2023, 13, 12991-13005

 

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March 2023 RSC Advances Review Articles

Welcome to March’s Review round up!

Every month we update our 2023 Reviews in RSC Advances collection to showcase all of the review articles published in RSC Advances in 2023. Don’t forget to come back next month to check out our latest reviews.

We hope you enjoy reading and as always, all of our articles are open access so you can easily share your favourites online and with your colleagues.

Explore the full collection!

 

Browse a selection of our March reviews below:

Atmospheric microplastics: exposure, toxicity, and detrimental health effects
Angela Patricia Abad López, Jorge Trilleras, Victoria A. Arana, Luz Stella Garcia-Alzate and Carlos David Grande-Tovar
RSC Adv., 2023, 13, 7468-7489

Recent advances in the discovery, biosynthesis, and therapeutic potential of isocoumarins derived from fungi: a comprehensive update
Mohamed A. Tammam, Mariam I. Gamal El-Din, Amira Abood and Amr El-Demerdash
RSC Adv., 2023, 13, 8049-8089

Recent advances in covalent organic frameworks (COFs) for wound healing and antimicrobial applications
Fatemeh Mohajer, Ghodsi Mohammadi Ziarani, Alireza Badiei, Siavash Iravani and Rajender S. Varma
RSC Adv., 2023, 13, 8136-8152

Recent research advances on corrosion mechanism and protection, and novel coating materials of magnesium alloys: a review
Liangyu Wei and Ziyuan Gao
RSC Adv., 2023, 13, 8427-8463

Recent advances in the synthesis of pharmaceutically active 4-quinolone and its analogues: a review
Ilili Dine, Endale Mulugeta, Yadessa Melaku and Melis Belete
RSC Adv., 2023, 13, 8657-8682

A review on arsenic in the environment: contamination, mobility, sources, and exposure
Khageshwar Singh Patel, Piyush Kant Pandey, Pablo Martín-Ramos, Warren T. Corns, Simge Varol, Prosun Bhattacharya and Yanbei Zhu
RSC Adv., 2023, 13, 8803-8821

The influence of random-coil chemical shifts on the assessment of structural propensities in folded proteins and IDPs
Dániel Kovács and Andrea Bodor
RSC Adv., 2023, 13, 10182-10203

 

 

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Minerals2Materials – £1000 to an Early Career African Researcher

From Monday 26th June 2023 (12:00) to Tuesday 27th June 2023 (13:00), in celebration of Professor Nora de Leeuw’s 60th birthday, University College London will be holding a two day symposium which will include presentations and discussions on recent experimental and theoretical progress in the investigation of mineral-based materials.

Participation in the symposium event is free, but the number of spaces is limited, so registration is necessary – the last booking date for this symposium is 26th May 2023. Please see here for more information on the symposium.

RSC Advances is sponsoring the event and is offering a single award of £1000 to an early career researcher from Africa wishing to attend and give an oral presentation at this event.

Applications for this bursary are open until 30th April 2023. In order to apply, please send the following information by email to Sarah Sharp (RSC Advances Deputy Editor) at advances-rsc@rsc.org, using the phrase “minerals2materials bursary application” in the subject line:

  1. A short (two page) CV, clearly indicating the year of your PhD graduation (to be considered as early career, our guidance indicates that you should be roughly within 7 years of starting your first independent research position. However, career breaks will be taken into consideration, for example, parental or medical leave). Please include a summary of your educational and work experience details (including any career breaks), and a list of your top 5 publications over the past 10 years.
  2. A statement (400 words max) about your motivation to attend this event, and about the impact that having access to this bursary will have on your career at this stage.
  3. A proposed title of your talk plus a brief (1-2 sentence) outline of the research that you’d hope to present, highlighting how the content would be in scope with the theme of the conference.

We will notify all applicants about the outcome of the application within two weeks of the application deadline.

We look forward to reading your applications!

Head to our events page to find out about the symposiums, conferences, and training courses we run.

Find out more about funding opportunities available via the  Pan Africa Chemistry Network, which seeks to create a self-sustaining science base in Africa.

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Welcome to our new Editorial Board member: Leyong Wang

We are delighted to welcome Professor Leyong Wang to the RSC Advances Editorial Board!

Leyong Wang is a Professor of Organic and Supramolecular Chemistry in the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Nanjing University. He was born and brought up in Shandong, China. He obtained his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Nanjing University, China in 2000 with Prof. Xiaoqiang Sun and Prof. Hongwen Hu. After his postdoctoral stays at the Institute of Chemistry, CAS (2000-2002) with Prof. Wenhua Sun and Prof. Youliang Hu, at Université de Bourgogne, France (2002-2003) with Dr. Jean-Claude Chambron and Prof. Roger Guilard, and at Mainz University, Germany (2003-2004) with Dr.Voker Böhmer, he then became a Humboldt Research Fellow in Erlangen-Nürnberg University, Germany affiliated with Professor John A Gladysz. In 2006, he settled in Nanjing, China. He assumed the position of the vice-director of key lab. of mesoscopic chemistry, Ministry of Education (MOE), situated in Nanjing University in 2016. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2013.

Leyong has previously served or has been serving on the editorial board of several international academic journals including Supramolecular Chemistry, Chinese Chemical Letter, Green Synthesis and Catalysis, Frontier in Chemistry, and on the advisory board of Chemical Society Review, et al. Moreover, he is an Associate Editor of RSC Advances since 2015.

He has authored or coauthored over 200 papers in international peer reviewed journals. His main research area is supramolecular chemistry and biomaterials. The current research covers the dynamic macrocycles and cages to topological molecules, as well as smart supramolecular dynamic materials for drug delivery and molecular sensing.

Browse a selection of Leyong’s RSC publications:

A highly efficient artificial light-harvesting system with two-step sequential energy transfer based on supramolecular self-assembly
Guangping Sun, Weirui Qian, Jianmin Jiao, Tingting Han, Yukun Shi, Xiao-Yu Hu and Leyong Wang
J. Mater. Chem. A, 2020, 8, 9590-9596

Stimuli-responsive nanocarriers constructed from pillar [n] arene-based supra-amphiphiles
Tangxin Xiao, Lijie Qi, Weiwei Zhong, Chen Lin, Ruibing Wang and Leyong Wang
Mater. Chem. Front., 2019, 3, 1973-1993

pH-Responsive supramolecular vesicles assembled by water-soluble pillar [5] arene and a BODIPY photosensitizer for chemo-photodynamic dual therapy
Lu-Bo Meng, Wenyi Zhang, Dongqi Li, Yan Li, Xiao-Yu Hu, Leyong Wang and Guigen Li
Chem. Commun., 2015, 51, 14381-14384

RSC Advances Royal Society of Chemistry

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RSC Popular Advances Interview with Hossein Eshghi

We are very pleased to introduce Professor Hossein Eshghi,  who is the corresponding author on the paper, Immobilized Cu(0) nanoparticles on montmorillonite-modified with benzalkonium chloride (MMT-BAC@Cu(0)): as an eco-friendly and proficient heterogeneous nano-catalyst for green synthesis of 5-substituted 1H-tetrazoles.  The manuscript was well received by reviewers and was handpicked by our reviewers and handling editors to be part of our Popular Advances collection.

Professor Hossein Eshghi told us more about his research group and the work that went into this study and what he hopes to achieve in the future. You can explore other articles in our 2023 Popular Advances online collection here!

The authors: 

Dr. Eshghi,
Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran

Dr. Rounaghi,
Birjand University of Technology, Iran

F. Pirani,
Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran

  1. 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 paper introduces an eco-friendly and efficient approach for the synthesize of 5-substituted 1H-tetrazole derivatives from raw materials of benzonitrile and sodium azide through the [2+3] cycloaddition reaction as well as 2-(1H-tetrazole-5-yl) acrylonitrile derivatives as the preferred product from raw materials of aldehyde, malononitrile, and sodium azide through multicomponent domino reactions (MDRs) in the presence of the MMT-BAC@Cu(0) nanoclay as a proficient heterogeneous catalysis in mild conditions.

  1. How big an impact could your results potentially have?

The MMT-BAC@Cu(0) nanocatalyst used benefits from properties such as high surface reactivity, biocompatibility, non-toxicity, and inexpensiveness. Some advantages of the green solvent used in the study are non-flammability, high solubility, degradability, inexpensiveness, recyclability, and non-volatility. This method was proven to be more efficient than previous methods, which employed hazardous organic solvents and toxic metals and performed the process with a longer reaction time. Using the proposed approach, the reaction was made in a shorter time under green conditions with good to excellent efficiency and without the need for additional reagents.

  1. Could you explain the motivation behind this study?

In this study, Cu(0) nanoparticles supported on organo-modified montmorillonite with benzalkonium chloride (MMT-BAC@Cu(0)) were synthesized and used as a heterogeneous and green catalyst for synthesis of 5-substituted 1H-tetrazoles. A recent focus has come to using clay minerals as heterogeneous and green catalysts. In this regard, montmorillonite (MMT) clay has drawn particular attention due to its high abundance, cation exchange capacity, and other high surface areas. It is no wonder that the synthesis of tetrazoles has turned into a hot topic in the organic field so dramatically that it has drawn huge focus and attention in academic research and industrial areas. However, because that the protocols used in the synthesis of 5-substituted 1H-tetrazoles usually include the application of common organic solvents or catalysts whose synthesis path is not green and economical. We sought to change the protocol for the synthesis of 5-substituted 1H-tetrazoles through the design of stable nanoclay as catalysts with interesting features such as the stability of synthesized nanocatalysts, non-leaching with products, and widespread application in the synthesis of two significant classes of 5-substituted 1H-tetrazoles through the [2+3] cycloaddition reaction and multicomponent domino reactions (MDRs) reactions. Moreover, while observing the principles of green chemistry, which is one of the important issues in green chemistry and chemical engineering, we utilized the novel green nano catalyst and solvent (DESs).

  1. In your opinion, what are the key design considerations for your study?

The current project aims to develop a biocompatible nanocatalyst based on immobilized Cu(0) nanoparticles on montmorillonite -modified with benzalkonium chloride (MMT-BAC@Cu(0)) for the synthesis of 5-substituted-1H-tetrazoles under mild and green conditions. The advantages of availability, low cost, non-toxicity, and biocompatibility of clay were our focus in synthesizing this nanoclay catalyst in this project. The method’s advantages include good to excellent product yields, mild conditions, easy work-up, short reaction times and easy reuse of the nano catalyst.

  1. Which part of the work towards this paper proved to be most challenging?

Since the clay is a naturally formed mineral, its composition, properties and even the organic chemical modifiers used during subsequent modification process can alter in different ways. Hence, the selection of a proper nanoclay material is of crucial importance. The MMT-BAC@Cu(0) nanocatalyst used benefits from properties such as high surface reactivity, biocompatibility, non-toxicity, and inexpensiveness. Some advantages of the green solvent used in the study are non-flammability, high solubility, degradability, expensiveness, recyclability, and non-volatility. This method was proven to be more efficient than previous methods, which employed hazardous organic solvents and toxic metals and performed the process with a longer reaction time.

  1. What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment?

An eco-friendly and efficient approach for the synthesize of 2-(1H-tetrazole-5-yl) acrylonitrile derivatives as the preferred product from raw materials through multicomponent domino reactions (MDRs) was introduced. This is significant because heterocyclic compounds are of great pharmacological importance and changes in the conditions of the synthesis protocol to achieve sustainable development are among the important issues we considered in this paper.

7.What is the next step? What work is planned?

We hope that the presented method can be generalized in the future to synthesize heterocyclic derivatives with important biological properties to be used in valuable research projects by adhering to the principles of green chemistry. This work opens us a window for the synthesis of other chemical derivatives using heterogenous clay based nanocatalysis.

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RSC Advances Popular Advances Interview with Dr Machhindra K. Lande

We are very pleased to introduce Dr. Machhindra K. Lande who is the corresponding author of the RSC Advances article, Silica supported lanthanum trifluoroacetate and trichloroacetate as an efficient and reusable water compatible Lewis acid catalyst for synthesis of 2,4,5-triarylimidazoles via a solvent-free green approach. This was well received by reviewers and was handpicked by our handling editors to be part of our Popular Advances collection – a big congratulations to all the authors!

Dr Lande told us more about his research group and the work that went into this study and what he hopes to achieve in the future. You can explore other articles in our 2023 Popular Advances online collection here!

Meet the Author

Dr. M. K. Lande is a professor and head of the department of chemistry at Dr. B. A. M. University, Aurangabad (Maharashtra, India). His research group includes Mr. Dnyaneshwar Purushottam Gholap, Mr. Ramdas Huse and Mr. Dipake Sudarshan, who were actively involved in contributing towards this popular advances article. Dr. M. K. Lande’s group’s research area includes Natural and synthetic zeolites catalysts, Lewis acid catalysts for organic transformation, mixed metal oxides as catalysts for organic transformations, metal-organic frameworks and DFT studies of chemical compounds using Gaussian 09 software.

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?

The present research work is mainly focused on the development of novel water-compatible, environment-friendly and economically cheaper heterogeneous Lewis acid catalysts as competitive alternatives to highly expensive Metal triflate catalysts.

How big an impact could your results potentially have?

The currently prepared water-competent Lewis acid catalyst shows excellent catalytic efficiency in 2,4,5-triaryl imidazole synthesis via green route, compared to many catalysts, especially Metal triflate Lewis acid catalyst. Further, these Lewis catalysts were prepared by commercially available cheaper starting material hence it is economically more favourable as compared to highly expensive Metal triflate Lewis acid.

Could you explain the motivation behind this study?

By considering the special attention and importance of Lewis acid as a catalyst in many industrial processes and organic transformations, we had planned to design novel water-compatible Lewis acid. However, currently, many conventional Lewis acids and green Lewis acids were used in the reaction, but they have many limitations.
Among all these, metal triflate is one of the most widely used green Lewis acids but they are highly expensive and moisture sensitive. In regard to this, we have developed economically favourable and environment-friendly green silica supported Lanthanum trifluoroacetate and trichloroacetate Lewis acid catalysts.

In your opinion, what are the key design considerations for your study?

The key design considerations of the present research work are as follows

– Water-competent Green Lewis acid catalysts
– Highly efficient, clean, environment-friendly and recyclable Lewis acids
– Catalyst work superiorly in water and organic solvents
– Solvent-free green synthesis in a short time with excellent product yield

Which part of the work towards this paper proved to be most challenging?

The synthesis of present Lewis acids was found to be most challenging as special precaution and care were needed during the handling of trifluoracetic acid and trichloroacetic acid.

What aspect of your work are you most excited about at the moment?

The present Lewis acid can become a good competitive alternative to green Lewis acid catalysts, especially highly expensive metal triflate Lewis acids.


What is the next step? What work is planned?

To design and develop more novel, environment-friendly and economically favorable green Lewis acid catalysts & utilize them in various industrially demanded processes and organic transformations.

 

Silica supported lanthanum trifluoroacetate and trichloroacetate as an efficient and reusable water compatible Lewis acid catalyst for synthesis of 2,4,5-triarylimidazoles via a solvent-free green approach

Dnyaneshwar Purushottam Gholap,

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Open Call for Papers: Nanotubes: fabrication, properties, and applications

RSC Advances is delighted to announce a new themed collection entitled ‘Nanotubes: fabrication, properties, and applications’. The collection is Guest Edited by Dr. Ofelia Durante (University of Salerno, Italy) and Professor Antonio Di Bartolomeo (University of Salerno, Italy).

Scope

In the past three decades, the intense research activity on carbon nanotubes has unveiled fundamental phenomena and enabled novel applications in nanoelectronics, gas sensing, photodetection, telecommunication, quantum information, material engineering, nanomechanics, nanofluidics, nanomedicine, pharmacology, food industry, catalysis, energy science, etc.

The great success of carbon nanotubes has stimulated research towards the fabrication of nanotubes from other materials. Along this line, the family of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) has offered new opportunities. Indeed, nanotubes of MoS2, WS2, etc. have been already synthesized and studied. Other nanotubes, such as black phosphorus ones, have been theoretically predicted but not experimentally established.

New approaches to the synthesis and characterization of nanotubes are continuously developed and new applications are proposed.

This Special Issues is focused on the recent progress on the synthesis, characterization, and applications of nanotubes, either from carbon, TMD or any other materials. The special issue aims to collect research papers with new experimental, theoretical or simulation results on nanotubes. Review articles that offer comprehensive coverage of specific aspects or new insights and perspectives are welcome as well.

 

How to submit

Both Papers and Review articles will be considered for this issue. All submissions will be subject to an initial assessment by Associate Editors and, if suitable for the journal, they will be subject to rigorous peer review to meet the usual high standards of RSC Advances.

Our APC is among the lowest in the industry and there are no submission charges. Discounts and waivers are offered to authors from developing countries.

If you would like to submit to this issue the manuscript should be prepared according to our article guidelines and submitted via our online system anytime before the submission deadline of 21st of December 2023. During submission, authors will be asked if they are submitting for a themed collection and should include the name of the themed collection. If you would like to submit but require additional time to prepare your article, please do let us know by contacting the journal.

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 Popular Advances, Reviews, Collections & more by following us on Twitter. You can also keep informed by signing up to our E-Alerts.

 

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February 2023 Popular Advances Articles

Welcome to February’s Popular Advances article round up!

Every month we update our 2023 RSC Advances Popular Advances Article Collection to showcase all of the articles selected by our reviewers and handling editors as Popular Advances in 2023. Don’t forget to come back next month to check out our latest Popular articles.

We hope you enjoy reading and as always, all of our articles are open access so you can easily share your favourites online and with your colleagues.

Explore the full collection!

 

In vitro anti-inflammatory, in silico molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation of oleanane-type triterpenes from aerial parts of Mussaenda recurvata
Mai Dinh Tri, Nguyen Tan Phat, Phan Nhat Minh, Mai Thanh Chi, Bui Xuan Hao, Tran Nguyen Minh An, Mahboob Alam, Nguyen Van Kieu, Van-Son Dang, Tran Thi Ngoc Mai and Thuc-Huy Duong
RSC Adv., 2023, 13, 5324-5336

Aqueous phase hydrogenolysis of glycerol with in situ generated hydrogen over Ni/Al3Fe1 catalyst: effect of the calcination temperature
Raquel Raso, Alejandro Lete, Lucía García, Joaquín Ruiz, Miriam Oliva and Jesús Arauzo
RSC Adv., 2023, 13, 5483-5495

Immobilized Cu(0) nanoparticles on montmorillonite-modified with benzalkonium chloride (MMT-BAC@Cu(0)): as an eco-friendly and proficient heterogeneous nano-catalyst for green synthesis of 5-substituted 1H-tetrazoles
Fatemeh Pirani, Hossein Eshghi and S. Amin Rounaghi
RSC Adv., 2023, 13, 6160-6170

Million-atom molecular dynamics simulations reveal the interfacial interactions and assembly of plant PSII-LHCII supercomplex
Ruichao Mao, Han Zhang, Lihua Bie, Lu-Ning Liu and Jun Gao
RSC Adv., 2023, 13, 6699-6712

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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February 2023 RSC Advances Review Articles

Welcome to February’s Review round up!

Every month we update our 2023 Reviews in RSC Advances collection to showcase all of the review articles published in RSC Advances in 2023. Don’t forget to come back next month to check out our latest reviews.

We hope you enjoy reading and as always, all of our articles are open access so you can easily share your favourites online and with your colleagues.

Explore the full collection!

 

Browse a selection of our February reviews below:

Adsorptive removal of antibiotic pollutants from wastewater using biomass/biochar-based adsorbents
Oluwaseyi Aderemi AJALA, Solomon Oluwaseun AKINNAWO, Abayomi BAMISAYE, Demilade Tunrayo ADEDIPE, Morenike Oluwabunmi ADESINA, Omolabake Abiodun OKON-AKAN, Tosin Adewumi ADEBUSUYI, Adedamola Titi OJEDOKUN, Kayode Adesina ADEGOKE and Olugbenga Solomon BELLO
RSC Adv., 2023, 13, 4678-4712

Design strategies of Pt-based electrocatalysts and tolerance strategies in fuel cells: a review
Wenlei Luo, Yitian Jiang, Mengwei Wang, Dan Lu, Xiaohui Sun and Huahui Zhang
RSC Adv., 2023, 13, 4803-4822

Recent progress in synthesis and application of furoxan
Muhammad Abu Yousef and Ryosuke Matsubara
RSC Adv., 2023, 13, 5228-5248

An inclusive review and perspective on Cu-based materials for electrochemical water splitting
Abdul Shakoor Sabir, Erum Pervaiz, Rafiq Khosa and Umair Sohail
RSC Adv., 2023, 13, 4963-4993

Emerging trends in direct air capture of CO2: a review of technology options targeting net-zero emissions
Yasser Abdullatif, Ahmed Sodiq, Namra Mir, Yusuf Bicer, Tareq Al-Ansari, Muftah H. El-Naas and Abdulkarem I. Amhamed
RSC Adv., 2023, 13, 5687-5722

Interpenetrating polymer networks for desalination and water remediation: a comprehensive review of research trends and prospects
Soumi Dutta, Ria Sen Gupta, Shabnam Pathan and Suryasarathi Bose
RSC Adv., 2023, 13, 6087-6107

Electrosorption performance on graphene-based materials: a review
Yan Liu, Yun Tian, Jianda Xu, Changfu Wang, Yun Wang, Dingzhong Yuan and Jia Wei Chew
RSC Adv., 2023, 13, 6518-6529

 

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International Women’s Day – Editorial Board Members

International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated annually on March 8th to honour the achievements of women all around the world. IWD has been observed since 1911 and remains significant in driving positive change for women. In honour of this day, at RSC Advances, would like to take the opportunity to highlight some members of our Editorial Board and Associate Editor group. These members share some of their own perspectives of being a woman in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), and provide some guidance for researchers.

Prof Karen Faulds, Editor-in-Chief, University of Strathclyde, UK

Karen FauldsWhat are some of the challenges you have faced as a woman in science and what positive progress have you seen throughout your career so far?

Early in my career the majority of speakers at conferences and in leadership roles were white males. Very few women were invited to speak at conferences therefore as an early career researcher there were very few visible female role models. It means it was harder and often took longer for a women in science to get visibility for their research through invitations to conferences and to be involved in leadership roles. Work still needs to be done on this aspect but it is better than it was 20 years ago with more emphasis on ensuring woman are represented but we also need to make sure that the science community as a whole is represented at conferences and committees. Role models for all aspects of the community are needed that early career scientists can identify with!

What do you think are the main factors perpetuating the gender gap in STEM fields, and what can we do to help close this gap?

In academia there are challenges around short term contracts through postdoctoral years and having to move to different institutions, as well as competition for academic positions, meaning there is a huge amount of job instability which is extremely difficult for people with caring responsibilities. The system does not support this and many women chose to leave academia to have more stable positions that support more stable and flexible working. This needs to change.

What advice would you give to early career female researchers?

Find a good mentor and take advantages of all opportunities that come your way!

Karen’s top publications:

Depth prediction of nanotags in tissue using surface enhanced spatially offset Raman scattering (SESORS)
Matthew E. Berry, Samantha M. McCabe, Neil C. Shand, Duncan Graham and Karen Faulds
Chem. Commun., 2022,58, 1756-1759

Rapid ultra-sensitive diagnosis of clostridium difficile infection using a SERS-based lateral flow assay
Waleed A. Hassanain, Julia Spoors, Christopher L. Johnson, Karen Faulds, Neil Keegan and Duncan Graham
Analyst, 2021,146, 4495-4505

Stimulated Raman scattering microscopy with spectral phasor analysis: applications in assessing drug–cell interactions
William J. Tipping, Liam T. Wilson, Connie An, Aristea A. Leventi, Alastair W. Wark, Corinna Wetherill, Nicholas C. O. Tomkinson, Karen Faulds and Duncan Graham
Chem. Sci., 2022,13, 3468-3476

Prof Shirley Nakagaki Bastos, Editorial Board Member, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Brazil

Shirley Nakagaki RSC Advances Editorial BoardWhat are some of the challenges you have faced as a woman in science and what positive progress have you seen throughout your career so far?

As a woman aiming to become a scientist in the field of chemistry and at the same time wanting to build a family, I faced a few issues during grad school, such as the need to create, together with my husband, a support network that was conciliatory with my research activities. Finding a full-time day care that had quality and was affordable, considering our scholarship budget at the time, was a challenge. Another one was the lack of outstanding inspiring female examples in the sciences in general, because even if they existed, they were not well-known. In addition, I took some time to recognize that there is gender inequality in the various sciences and therefore lack of discussion and search for solutions, among many other factors that discouraged girls from opting for this area of activity. Throughout my career I have seen a lot of progress in this area, mainly regarding the greater discussion of the need for a more pluralistic environment with regard to gender issues, working in the science area.

What do you think are the main factors perpetuating the gender gap in STEM fields, and what can we do to help close this gap?

Gender stereotypes are established in different cultures and areas of activity, mainly STEM, and the lack of information and knowledge contributes to their perpetuation. And, looking at my journey, I see how having a good support network, access to quality daycare and being able to count on my husband gave me the peace of mind to focus on my career as much as I wanted. I believe that only through the discussion of problems, knowledge and education can we arrive at answers that will act to reduce this gap.

What advice would you give to early career female researchers?

Everyday we face problems that can have solutions based on scientific knowledge and this knowledge can be discovered by anyone who is interested in the scientific solution, regardless of their gender. So, when it comes to the development of a scientific career, if it is their wish, researchers can, are able, and will be successful!

Shirley’s top publications:

Synthesis, crystallographic characterization and homogeneous catalytic activity of novel unsymmetric porphyrins
A. R. Antonangelo, K. C. M. Westrup, L. A. Burt, C. Grazia Bezzu, T. Malewschik, G. S. Machado, F. S. Nunes, N. B. McKeown and S. Nakagaki
RSC Adv., 2017,7, 50610-50618

New highly brominated Mn-porphyrin: a good catalyst for activation of inert C–H bonds
Vinicius Santos da Silva, Shirley Nakagaki, Geani Maria Ucoski, Ynara Marina Idemori and Gilson DeFreitas-Silva
RSC Adv., 2015,5, 106589-106598

Fabienne Dumoulin, Editorial Board Member and Associate Editor, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Türkiye

What are some of the challenges you have faced as a woman in science and what positive progress have you seen throughout your career so far?

I would say that problems started when I started to have ambition and apply to more prestigious tasks and positions. In a society I am involved with, I had to fight to have maternity considered in age calculations for young investigator awards. Also, when I ask for a better gender balance in various scientific activities (symposium organization in congresses), I still face those who argue “it should be about excellence, not gender”.  Others argue “there are only 30% of women in our field, why should they be 50% in the board / committee / etc…”. If this is the case, they should rather wonder about the 30% ratio! It is hard to pinpoint significant progresses, it seems to be one step forward and one step back.

What do you think are the main factors perpetuating the gender gap in STEM fields, and what can we do to help close this gap?

The use of friendly but still respectful/considerate words should be used to describe/mention women. I remember a French professor who designated all female colleagues by “fillette” (meaning little girl), from students to full professor, without realizing the implications. When there are decisions to make, being a “fillette” does not help ascertain your credibility and generate respect. Also, how many colleagues, when learning that a female postgrad student is pregnant, immediately say “oh, she will not complete her Msc/PhD, for sure” instead of wondering how they could help? In their private lives, many women do not have a supportive partner who does their part at home – and I chose my words carefully because it is frustrating to hear male colleagues say they “help” their wife/partner. They are not “helping”, they are just doing their part.

Sadly, I do believe gender and other minority quotas work. I would prefer to be included in something “just because I am woman”, and be able to prove I actually deserve to be there, rather than not be included at all.

What advice would you give to early career female researchers?

Find other friendly (female or not) researchers and watch and warn each other when you suspect or see a gender-biased behaviour. Be kind to yourself: you have enough burden, it is not your mission to change the system alone, do not feel guilty if you don’ manage to or don’t have the strength to try. Be kind with all other women, including students, cleaning, and admin staff.

The theme of this year’s IWD is Embrace Equity. Do you have any recommendations for improving the STEM workforce to create an environment that better supports women?

  • Do not let it be only a front to say something has been done, be active
  • Defend long paternity leaves in academia
  • Fight toxic metrics and evaluation criteria
  • Increase funding

Fabienne’s top publications:

Far-red triplet sensitized Z-to-E photoswitching of azobenzene in bioplastics
Pankaj Bharmoria, Shima Ghasemi, Fredrik Edhborg, Raúl Losantos, Zhihang Wang, Anders Mårtensson, Masa-aki Morikawa, Nobuo Kimizuka,Ümit İşci, Fabienne Dumoulin, Bo Albinsson and Kasper Moth-Poulsen
Chem. Sci., 2022,13, 11904-11911

Phthalocyanine-based mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles: NIR photodynamic efficiency and siRNA photochemical internalization
Gülçin Ekineker, Christophe Nguyen, Sümeyra Bayır, Sofia Dominguez Gil, Ümit İşci, Morgane Daurat, Anastasia Godefroy, Laurence Raehm, Clarence Charnay, Erwan Oliviero, Vefa Ahsen, Magali Gary-Bobo, Jean-Olivier Durand and Fabienne Dumoulin
Chem. Commun., 2019,55, 11619-11622

The unique features and promises of phthalocyanines as advanced photosensitisers for photodynamic therapy of cancer
Pui-Chi Lo, M. Salomé Rodríguez-Morgade, Ravindra K. Pandey, Dennis K. P. Ng, Tomás Torres and Fabienne Dumoulin
Chem. Soc. Rev., 2020,49, 1041-1056

Check out our Women in Chemistry page to learn more about women working as chemists and the issues that affect them in science education.

In 2019, the Royal Society of Chemistry published a report to assess if publishing in the chemical sciences is gender biased. The full report and guidance as a result of the findings can be viewed here https://www.rsc.org/new-perspectives/talent/gender-bias-in-publishing

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