Emerging Investigators issue

Journal of Materials Chemistry is very proud to produce this issue emphasizing the explorations in materials chemistry by scientists at the beginnings of their careers. This collection of articles ranges from basic science to engineering applications.

The aim of this issue is to present an international perspective on the latest developments in materials chemistry from the up-and-coming researchers in the field. Members of the Journal of Materials Chemistry Editorial and International Advisory Editorial Boards were asked for suggestions of outstanding emerging investigators (see the masthead page for a full list of Board members). The result is this issue that contains 22 full papers and 2 communications from researchers who are within the first few years of their independent careers.

The articles cover a broad range of topics within the scope of the journal and there is a very international authorship, with submissions coming from a wide range of countries including India, the USA, China and Switzerland. Each of the emerging investigators is profiled in this issue (DOI: 10.1039/b618496k).

The contributions to this issue reflect the current trends in materials science. Organic materials are well represented, particularly those relating to organic electronics, magnetism and magnetoresistance. There are papers focusing on polymers, from biopolymers to block copolymers. Carbon nanotubes feature in a couple of contributions and others cover different aspects of nanotechnology. Other papers describe porous/framework materials, mostly oxides and hybrid inorganic–organic structures.

We wish to thank our esteemed colleagues for their invaluable advice in suggesting contributors. Thanks must also be given to the authors themselves for their positive response to the invitation and for the hard work they have put into preparing their manuscripts. It has been a pleasure to be involved in working with the up-coming generation of materials scientists and we wish them great success in their future careers.

We hope that this issue will provide the community with a view into the future of materials research. The issue reflects a comforting feeling that the future of modern materials science is in good hands.

Fred Wudl, Associate Editor for North America

Sophia Anderton, Deputy Editor

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