Themed collection Commemorating Michael Faraday (1791-1867)
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The extraordinary impact of Michael Faraday on chemistry and related subjects
To mark the sesquicentenary of his passing, this editorial, by one of Michael Faraday’s distant successors as Director and Fullerian Professor at the RI, focuses on Faraday's output and influence as a scientist.
Chem. Commun., 2017,53, 9179-9184
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7CC90239E
Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy: bottlenecks and future directions
This feature article discusses developmental bottleneck issues in surface Raman spectroscopy in its early stages and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) in the past four decades and future perspectives.
Chem. Commun., 2018,54, 10-25
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7CC05979E
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Neutron spectroscopy as a tool in catalytic science
The unique power of neutron spectroscopy to probe molecular behaviour in catalytic systems is illustrated. Vibrational spectroscopy and quasielastic scattering techniques are introduced, along with their use in probing methanol-to-hydrocarbons and methane reforming catalysis, and also hydrocarbon behaviour in microporous catalysts.
Chem. Commun., 2017,53, 12164-12176
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7CC05982E
What [plasma used for growing] diamond can shine like flame?
The gas-phase chemistry underpinning the chemical vapour deposition of diamond from microwave-activated methane/hydrogen plasmas is surveyed.
Chem. Commun., 2017,53, 10482-10495
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7CC05568D
Acetylene hydrochlorination using Au/carbon: a journey towards single site catalysis
The replacement of mercuric chloride in the production of vinyl chloride monomer, a precursor to PVC, would greatly reduce the environmental impact of this large scale industrial process.
Chem. Commun., 2017,53, 11733-11746
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7CC05986H
The RSC Faraday prize lecture of 1989 on platinum
This article outlines many of Michael Faraday's views on, and experiments with, platinum. It also describes the continuing importance and utilization of platinum, both as perceived in 1989 and from present perspectives.
Chem. Commun., 2017,53, 9185-9197
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7CC90240A
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Long range electrostatic forces in ionic liquids
Experimental evidence for long range surface forces in ionic liquids is collated and examined, key outstanding questions are identified, and possible mechanisms underpinning these long range forces are explored.
Chem. Commun., 2017,53, 1214-1224
https://doi.org/10.1039/C6CC08820A
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Transient electrochemistry: beyond simply temporal resolution
Transient electrochemistry is a powerful method to solve many physicochemical issues.
Chem. Commun., 2016,52, 251-263
https://doi.org/10.1039/C5CC07953E
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Nanoscale infrared imaging of zeolites using photoinduced force microscopy
Photoinduced force microscopy (PiFM) can probe the structural and catalytic information of functional porous materials at nanometer scale resolution.
Chem. Commun., 2017,53, 13012-13014
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7CC06832H
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Catechol–TiO2 hybrids for photocatalytic H2 production and photocathode assembly
Charge-transfer dyes are explored for photocatalytic H2 evolution (DSP) and dye-sensitised photoelectrochemical applications (DSPEC).
Chem. Commun., 2017,53, 12638-12641
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7CC05094A
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Disentangling the effect of seed size and crystal habit on gold nanoparticle seeded growth
Oxidative etching was used to produce gold seeds of different sizes and crystal habits.
Chem. Commun., 2017,53, 11360-11363
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7CC06854A
Calculation and experimental measurement of paramagnetic NMR parameters of phenolic oximate Cu(II) complexes
Unusual 1H and 13C NMR shifts for paramagnetic bisoximato copper(II) complexes are understood by combining DFT calculations and multidimensional experiments.
Chem. Commun., 2017,53, 10512-10515
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7CC05098D
High magnetic relaxivity in a fluorescent CdSe/CdS/ZnS quantum dot functionalized with MRI contrast molecules
Fluorescent quantum dots functionalized with Gd(III) MRI contrast agents produce an unprecedentedly high T1 relaxivity per particle (6800 mM−1 s−1).
Chem. Commun., 2017,53, 10500-10503
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7CC05537D
A kinetic study of mechanochemical halogen bond formation by in situ31P solid-state NMR spectroscopy
In situ 31P solid-state NMR studies of mechanochemical halogen bond formation provide insights into the cocrystallisation process and an estimate of the activation energy.
Chem. Commun., 2017,53, 9930-9933
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7CC05051H
Tri- and hexaferrocenyl-substituted subphthalocyanines in the quest for the optimum electron donor–acceptor distances
Three and six ferrocenyl subunits have been attached to the periphery of subphthalocyanines (SubPcs).
Chem. Commun., 2017,53, 8525-8528
https://doi.org/10.1039/C7CC04726F
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Photoinduced energy- and electron-transfer from a photoactive coordination cage to bound guests
The array of naphthyl chromophores in a self-assembled cage can effect photoinduced energy- or electron-transfer to guests in the central cavity.
Chem. Commun., 2017,53, 408-411
https://doi.org/10.1039/C6CC09298E
Imaging plasma membrane phase behaviour in live cells using a thiophene-based molecular rotor
A thiophene-based molecular rotor was used to probe ordering and viscosity within artificial lipid bilayers and live cell plasma membranes.
Chem. Commun., 2016,52, 13269-13272
https://doi.org/10.1039/C6CC05954F
Hydrogen bonding mediated orthogonal and reversible self-assembly of porphyrin sensitizers onto TiO2 nanoparticles
We report on the orthogonal, highly directional and reversible self-assembly of porphyrins onto TiO2 nanoparticles by means of hydrogen bonding interactions.
Chem. Commun., 2016,52, 8842-8845
https://doi.org/10.1039/C6CC03452G
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Room temperature methoxylation in zeolites: insight into a key step of the methanol-to-hydrocarbons process
Neutron scattering methods studying mobility and vibrational spectra observed complete room temperature methoxylation in a commercial sample of methanol-to-hydrocarbons (MTH) catalyst H-ZSM-5.
Chem. Commun., 2016,52, 2897-2900
https://doi.org/10.1039/C5CC08956E
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The first near-linear bis(amide) f-block complex: a blueprint for a high temperature single molecule magnet
An unprecedented near-linear bis(amide) f-element complex has been prepared by utilizing bulky silylamide ligands. This Sm(II) complex is a blueprint for the next generation of single molecule magnets, where predictions for the Dy(III) analogue suggest they could operate above 77 K.
Chem. Commun., 2015,51, 101-103
https://doi.org/10.1039/C4CC08312A
About this collection
This year we are commemorating the 150th anniversary of the death of Michael Faraday, perhaps one of the most prolific and influential scientists who ever lived. His ground-breaking research into the relationship between electricity and magnetism ultimately led to the invention of the electric motor.
Michael Faraday discovered benzene, pioneered research into nanotechnology, and gave his name to the Faraday Effect, Faraday’s Law, and the SI unit of capacitance, the farad.
At the Royal Society of Chemistry, we are honouring Michael Faraday with a special Chemical Communications web themed issue, highlighting key discoveries and developments in physical chemistry.
New articles will be added to this collection as they are published.