In the cover article, Martin Pumera et al. use self-propelled biocompatible capsules loaded with various surfactants and compared their influence upon movement of oil droplets. Their findings are expected to have great impact on potential applications of such capsules for environmental clean-up. Also, a report on visualizing hyperconjugation through UV-photoelectron spectroscopy is outlined by Vladimir Ya. Lee et al. Meanwhile, Pierre Frère et al. describe the synthesis as well as the optical, theoretical, electrochemical, X-ray, and electrical characteristics of new thiophene/furan-capped co-oligomers for organic field-effect transistors.

Browse Issue 5/2013 now

F. Pöhlmann, L. Schilder, W. Korth, A. Jess*

In isobutane/butene alkylation, chloroaluminate ionic liquid catalysts (CAIL) ([BMIM]Cl/AlCl₃, x_AlCl3=0.64) deactivate fast with time on stream with respect to activity and selectivity. Hence, it is crucial to find promising co-catalysts to stop the deactivation process. So, the effect of anhydrous hydrogen chloride gas (HCl) was studied in a batch reactor. This gaseous co-catalyst leads to an increased reaction rate and improves the yield of trimethylpentanes, the primarily desired high-octane compounds of alkylation. Moreover, already deactivated CAIL catalysts are reactivated by gaseous HCl. As a consequence the deactivation of the CAIL catalyst can be suppressed completely.

Wiley-VCH was pleased to sponsored the best poster prize at SupraChem 2013 held in Münster last week. The worthy winner is Malte Hansen from Burkhard König’s group based at the University of Regensburg for the poster titled “Photocatalytic Water Oxidation with Ruthenium-Complex-Functionalized Vesicles”. Congratulations to the winner.

Wiley-VCH was pleased to sponsored eight poster prizes at the 6th International Meeting on Molecular Electronics (ElecMol′12), which was recently held in Grenoble (France). The prizes were awarded by the ChemPubSoc Europe journals ChemPlusChem, Chemistry-A European Journal, and ChemPhysChem.

The worthy winners singled out by the jury were Tiphaine Bourgeteau from Serge Palacin’s group, Vincent Derycke, Sebastien Haar from Paolo Samori’s group, Dipankar Kalita from Nedjma Bendiab’s group, Kazuaki Hiroki, Giuseppe Tarabella from Salvatore Iannota’s group, Tino Wagner from Andreas Stemmer’s group, and Silvia Zanetti from Bernard Doudin’s group. Congratulations to all the winners.

Nazario Martín studied at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), where he earned a PhD in 1984 and was mentored by Carlos Seoane and José L. Soto. After a year working at the pharmaceutical company Juste S.A.Q.F., he returned to the UCM in 1985 and was promoted to associate professor in 1989 and to full professor in 2001. Martín was President of the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry (RSEQ) from 2006--2012, and he contributed to the creation of the IMDEA, where he has been Vice-Director since 2007. Martín´s research interests include the molecular and supramolecular chemistry of carbon nanostructures involving electron-transfer processes and photovoltaics. His most recent publication outlines the synthesis and electronic properties of π-extended tetrathiafulvalenes. Martín is on the International Advisory Boards of ChemPlusChem and ChemSusChem.

"To be an active part of crossdisciplinary research can be a tremendous 'catalyst' to boost creativity in chemistry and in turn to convince colleagues from other disciplines to interconnect with the beauty and power of chemistry," said Matthias Driess from the Technische Universität Berlin and Co-chair of ChemPlusChem. "The launch of ChemPlusChem will be of benefit to all crossdisciplinary researchers and will ensure that fruitful scientific collaborations keep heading in the right direction."

Co-Chair Nico Sommerdijk (Technische Universiteit Eindhoven) adds: "Great inventions almost always are the product of multidisciplinary research! There is a great need for a chemistry journal that is able to review and publish creative studies that bring together contributions from many areas of research. I think ChemPlusChem will be that journal."

Learn more from the Editorial in the inaugural issue.

Enjoy free trial access until September.