RSC - Advancing the Chemical Sciences


Chemistry World

 

News September 2009


Intermediates trapped in a porous network

Porous networks trap reactive intermediates

30 September 2009

Short-lived reaction intermediates observed by x-ray in the pores of crystalline 'coordination networks'


element 114

Element 114 confirmed

30 September 2009

US scientists confirm the discovery of super-heavy element 114


arthritic knee

Cox inhibitors stage a comeback

30 September 2009

New anti-inflammatory drug says NO to side effects


A quantum dot producing reactive oxygen species

Topical treatment for quantum dots?

30 September 2009

Singlet oxygen release suggests cancer therapy use for dopamine-bound nanoparticles


Angela Merkel

German election suggests science boost

29 September 2009

Incoming government likely to make major changes in German science that will be felt around the world


encapsulated wires

Super-thin nanowires made inside nanotubes

29 September 2009

Useful metal nanowires only a single atom thick have been grown inside carbon nanotubes


Solvay

Abbott wins the race for Solvay's pharma business

29 September 2009

Abbott has beaten off rival bids to acquire its cholesterol-franchise partner, Solvay Pharmaceuticals.


pouring champagne

Champagne's aromatic chemistry

28 September 2009

Bubbles erupting from the surface of sparkling wines carry a complex mixture of flavour molecules into the air above the glass


ETH logo

Interview: Ralph Eichler, ETH Zurich

28 September 2009

ETH president talks to Chemistry World about the allegations of research fraud within Peter Chen's research group


microfluidic droplet connector

Tiny droplets help separate tiny samples

25 September 2009

UK scientists use microdroplets to solve a crucial problem in proteomics


MRI-active complex

New MRI protein probe

25 September 2009

MRI tag based on fluorine selectively 'switch on' in the presence of a target protein


Barack Obama

US budget bears good news for chemistry

25 September 2009

Obama's 2010 proposal is positive for chemistry overall, but the NIH and DOD figures pose difficulties


STM image of honeycomb structure

Superhoneycomb networks

25 September 2009

Scientists have made the first example of an elusive class of graphene-related materials predicted to have exciting electronic properties


Adding ethene to tin triple bonds

Carbon can't but tin can

24 September 2009

US researchers have found that two molecules of ethene can add to tin triple bonds


Collagen

ETH research director steps down

24 September 2009

Peter Chen is stepping down as research director of ETH Zurich over allegations of data falsification


Solar wind on moon

A moist moon

24 September 2009

Water on the moon's surface has been found by three separate space missions


Organophosphorus nerve agent

Nerve gas detection in a fraction of a second

24 September 2009

US researchers develop chemistry to detect and neutralise lethal nerve agents


Direct sequencing of RNA

Direct route to RNA sequences

23 September 2009

New technique allows single molecules of RNA to be sequenced directly without the multiple manipulations currently needed


Stack of journals

Brace for research impact exercise

23 September 2009

University research funding to be distributed partly by measuring 'research impact'


Iridescent suid skin cells

On-off iridescence in squid

23 September 2009

Structural changes in skin cell proteins help some squid to control the iridescence of their skin


Ian Norton

Interview: Building functional foods on the nanoscale

22 September 2009

Ian Norton talks to Phillip Broadwith about engineering the structure of foods to make them smarter and healthier


carbon nanotubes

Chemical manipulation of carbon nanotubes

22 September 2009

Chemically controlling carbon nanotubes' assembly could lead to new biomaterials


Enzyme production of hydrogen

Enzymes inspire new catalyst design for hydrogen production

21 September 2009

New enzyme-based catalyst will give industry something to think about, say researchers


Carbon nanotubes

Homogenised nanotubes show electronics promise

18 September 2009

Purely semiconducting carbon nanotubes made with UV light


A polymer-protein micelle

A biological approach to drug delivery

21 September 2009

An all-in-one approach to prepare tumour-targeting polymer spheres has been developed by Korean scientists


worker with head on desk in front of computer

Allergic to work?

18 September 2009

Chemicals linked to office sickness are staying indoors for longer


HIV virus

Food supplement fights HIV

17 September 2009

Medical nutritional supplement can slow the decline in immunity in HIV-positive patients, according to clinical trial results presented this week


tuberculosis-bacteria

Targeted TB treatment

17 September 2009

Small molecule inhibitor of tuberculosis protein complex offers a new strategy to attack the disease


Titan's orange haze

Peering into Titan's haze

16 September 2009

New studies help explain what makes up the orange haze that envelops Saturn's largest moon


Schematic diagram ARCUT

Cutting and pasting with the human genome

16 September 2009

A DNA cutting tool that can manipulate human genomic DNA could find use in gene therapy, say Japanese scientists


Martien Cohen Stuart

Interview: Making soft matter

16 September 2009

Martien Cohen Stuart on soft matter, music and fruit trees


Philip Mountford

Interview: Riding high

16 September 2009

Philip Mountford on jockeying, bribing techniques and the challenges ahead for chemistry


Battery made from paper and algae

Super-thin batteries made from paper and algae

15 September 2009

Flexible, environmentally-friendly polymer batteries hold great promise for future technologies


Pieta, by Andrea Solario

Renaissance artworks analysed

15 September 2009

Researchers have combined two ion-beam analysis techniques to obtain more detailed information about the paints used in Renaissance works of art


Supramolecular tripodal receptor

Fluorines make hydrogen bonds

15 September 2009

A supramolecular receptor shows that fluorine compounds can form hydrogen bonds


Triggering drug delivery

New 'on-off' membrane for drug delivery

14 September 2009

Nanomagnetic particles embedded in membrane can be remotely heated to cause gel-filled channels to open and close on demand


Nano or not nano?

All that is small is not nano

14 September 2009

Researchers suggest doing away with traditional definition of a nanoparticle to provide a focus for environmental, health and safety studies, and future regulation


carbon dioxide

Support for carbon dioxide conversion

14 September 2009

Supported ionic liquids convert greenhouse gas into useful synthetic intermediates


Flexible electronics

Photographing flexible electronics

11 September 2009

Photography has provided the inspiration for a fast, room temperature route to produce flexible electronic components


Self-healing polymer

Just heat and heal

11 September 2009

New polymer system based on weak, reversible bonds can heal itself when heated


Worldwide chemical industries could be showing signs of recovery

Light on the horizon for chemicals sector

10 September 2009

The worldwide chemical industry appears to have stabilised and could show mild growth by the end of the year, say industry economists


Zeolite nano-sheet

Ultrathin catalysts on demand

10 September 2009

Korean chemists have created ultrathin nano-sheets that are efficient and long-lived catalysts for hydrocarbon cracking and other petrochemical applications


cartoon of XPS

Spectra issues dissolve in ionic liquids

10 September 2009

An electrochemical reaction can be followed as it happens inside a spectrometer


Liquid crystal elastomer containing bent-core nematics

Liquid crystals bend over backwards for electricity

10 September 2009

US scientists are a step closer to producing a new generation of energy conversion devices based on liquid crystals


Daisy chain dimer

Daisy-chain polymers bring artificial muscles a step closer

09 September 2009

US chemists develop molecular 'daisy-chains' containing threaded rings that can be pulled taut or slackened by chemical stimuli


Journals

Peer review under the microscope

09 September 2009

International survey of reviewers reiterates concerns over demand, quality control and detecting plagiarism in peer review


carbon nanotubes

How safe are carbon nanotubes?

09 September 2009

Small amounts of metal impurities in carbon nanotubes can have a large effect on their toxicity


Hybrid nanomaterial

Hybrid nano material targets antibiotic resistant bacteria

08 September 2009

Researchers develop a light activated nano material that can target, label and kill antibiotic resistant bacteria such as E. coli


Graffiti

Tackling graffiti

08 September 2009

Developers hope for renewed support for new polymer-based anti-graffiti coating that lets buildings 'breathe'


A silicon wafer chip containing V-shaped mirrored trenches

Scrutinising cells with mirrors

08 September 2009

A reflective chip is being used to track biological processes in 3D inside living cells


Rings of light projected onto the optoeletronic tweezers

Cell sorting is no fixed matter

08 September 2009

Manipulating single cells in culture media without damage or interruption to cell functions


Microarray

A slide show for drug discovery

08 September 2009

Hydrogel slide offers key advantages over traditional microarray platforms


MOF catalyst

Bolt-on MOF catalysts

07 September 2009

Metal-organic frameworks with catalytic functions bolted on after construction produce efficient catalysts that can be easily recovered and cycled many times


Chemicals must be registered under the reach legislation

Authorities clamp down on Reach violations

04 September 2009

National agencies issue warnings to firms breaching Reach chemical regulations in signs of tough approach to compliance


food

Instant insight: Understanding our food

04 September 2009

Monika Pischetsrieder and Rainer Baeuerlein look at how the safety of GM food can be assured


Jellyfish Aequorea victoria

Instant insight: Lighting up biology

04 September 2009

Jellyfish have changed science. Marc Zimmer sheds light on GFP and the research behind 2008's Nobel Prize in Chemistry


A beta-hairpin peptide and RNA intercalator conjugate

Two-pronged approach to RNA binding

04 September 2009

Linking ligands gives RNA binder far better than the sum of its parts


Collagen

New kind of bond hidden in all animals

03 September 2009

US chemists have identified a unique chemical bond that holds together a type of collagen molecule in all animals


HIV virus

New HIV vaccine hope

03 September 2009

For the first time in decades, researchers have discovered new broadly neutralising antibodies that could lead to an effective vaccine for HIV


mechanised nanoparticles

Mechanised nanocapsules target drug delivery

02 September 2009

Supramolecular machines attached to nanoparticles allow the controlled release of their encapsulated cargo


nanoparticles

Instant insight: A calculated risk

03 September 2009

How safe are nanoparticles? Amanda Barnard reveals how computation can help to identify and prevent nanohazards


DNA crystal

Designing 3D DNA crystals

02 September 2009

DNA triangles have been designed that self-assemble into three-dimensional, macro-sized crystals


Bayer CropScience explosion

Bayer bows to safety concerns

02 September 2009

Following an explosion at a US plant last year, Bayer CropScience is slashing its stock of toxic methyl isocyanate


Interactions between drugs and DNA

Shining a light on DNA-binding drugs in living cells

02 September 2009

Researchers have used circular dichroism spectroscopy to probe interactions between drug molecules and DNA in living cells


Microcapsules

First aid for electronics

02 September 2009

A first aid kit for electrical systems could stop circuits failing and lead to safer, longer lasting batteries.


Laser ablation

An on-chip operation

02 September 2009

Speeding up worm microsurgery to improve understanding of animal behaviour


Complex signals its own formation

Complex shines a light on its own creation

01 September 2009

A complex that spontaneously forms at a surface and then signals its own assembly has been created by scientists