Aliev et al. (from Baughman lab at UT Dallas) reported artificial muscles from carbon nanotubes. When applied voltage (5 kV), carbon nanotubes expanded in the same direction (see Figure). What's even more exciting is that they observed almost no change when they swinged at temperatures between 80 K and 1500 K! And the tubes are found to diffract light in a certain direction, opening up optical applications. Cool stuff.
Steve Ralls calls it "Change, coming from the heartland".
Newsblaze caught a good point:"EU President Says Environmentalists Want to Command Human Behavior".
If you spent your entire life on promoting "Open Access" for academic journals, you won't like this.
Contrary to the common belief, James Evans and Jacob Reimer reports that the effect of free access to the increase in citations from poor countries is more modest than you think, only 8%. Some of their conclusions like this one are even more troubling for open access lovers: "most researchers (even in the developing world - nt) rely on institutional subscriptions".
Maybe this quote from the study answers your questions that start with "why": "The influence of OA was more than twice as strong in the developing world but was less apparent in the very poorest countries where electronic access is limited".
It's not that Boron has only four true crystal structures that makes it interesting, the real deal is at the fact that Boron is very hard to predict. It disobeys all the rules of periodic table. Artem Oganov from State University of New York at Stony Brook discovered a never observed allotrope of boron just recently and this may not be the last one.
Ken Chang wrote about this and mistakenly mentioned three forms not including the study he was writing about. He corrected it soon after but it was long enough to get caught by Conan O'Brien.
Check out the video on Conan's take on the matter.
Dr. Sun did it again!
There wasn't an easy way to make gold and silver nano scale alloys (especially at the sizes of 8-9 nm) until Dr. Shouheng Sun and Dr. Chao Wang's work appeared in chemistry of materials just yesterday. The method shines with its simplicty: one pot, mix silver nitrate (AgNO3) with oleylamine, heat it to 100 oC, inject HAuCl4, heat more at 120 oC for 30 more minutes. How simpler can it get? Results are stunning (see the figure); you can also tune the composition to your taste. The only issue is they couldn't prove that these alloys survive CO oxidation without any sintering. I think this is the reason they published a communication. Let's wait for the fully loaded beauty.
Ohnuma et al. (Xia group at Washington U. St. Louis) presents a beautiful way of dressing up gold nanocrystals with polystyrene (PS) polymer. They start the polymerization and then introduce the gold (50 nm) nanocrystals at a magic time, 2 minutes after the initiation. 30 minutes had 50 % success for gold embedding and 0 minutes had multiple gold cores in PS particles (in all cases PS size was around 300 nm with somewhat round shape). I wonder if plasmonic resonance played a role in the growth of the PS. As they promised to publish a mechanistic paper, we'll have to wait.
Hirsch index seems to be working better for senior or semi-senior professors. The untenured and yet to be graduated (e.g. grad students) are not easy to track in h-index. In other words, h-index is not that sensitive below 5.
Here's a suggestion for an academic impact index (AII):
Your AII = Total [(journal impact factor + times cited)x n]
n=1 if you are not the first, second or corresponding author
n=1.5 if you are the second author
n=2 if you are the first and/or corresponding author
For example, the 5th year chemistry graduate student Jack Sparrow has 3 journal papers (peer reviewed). His Chemistry of Materials paper has 4 citations, Advanced Materials has 11 and JACS (second author) has none because it's just come out.
His AII = (4.883 + 4)x2 + (8.191 + 11)x2 + (7.885 + 0)x1.5 = 67.976 = 68
So Mr. Sparrow's Academic Impact Index (AII) is 68.
Notes:
1. If there is no data for a journal's impact factor then put "0" for impact factor.
Advantages of this method:
1. Everything counts
2. The level of authorship matters (i.e. first, second or corresponding)
3. The journal you are publishing in is important
4. Any newly published papers have an immediate impact on your score
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Impact factor
Ohishi et al. (from Hou group at Riken Research, Japan) reported facile CO2 activation by CuCl and N-heterocyclic carbene ligands. Organoboron complexes get the insertion of the CO2 and produce carboxylic acid counterpart by loosing the boron group. Their method is very efficient (over %90 conversion most cases) and the other functional groups on the structure seems little or not affected. The only downside is that you have to use little more than stochiometric (or in some cases twice as much) base (tBuOK) and similar amounts of acid (HCl) to get the reaction going.
Good job though.
She talked about hydrosulfurization and Pt asissted C-F activation. Very exciting stuff and an excellent speaker I must say.
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UCSB's Arturo Keller introduced the Center for Environmental Implications of Nanotechnology (CEIN). This 25 million dollar center is funded by NSF and will bring a significant contribution to nano toxicology.
Imagine that you can synthesize single wall carbon nanotubes at 280 oC! That's precisely what dr. Sakthi Kumar from toyo university, Japan did. They used CoTPP and plasma evaporation. They patented all right in 2006 but they're still trying hard to convince Nature Nanotechnology editors to be accepted for a publication. What a drag. I would send it to JACS or something.
Image via WikipediaThe 2008 Nobel Chemistry prize has gone to another biological discovery.
Isn't it already time for a Nobel prize in Biology (or Molecular Biology)?
How long will the chemists suffer to see their prizes going to their biologist friends?
Is it fair that Chemistry, Physics, Medicine has their prizes and Biology not?
Who decides to establish another Nobel prize?
Stop this torture! Free the chemists!
UPDATE: It seems like I am not alone.
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| 1 | 1 | Harvard University | US | 100 | 100 | 96 | 100 | 87 | 81 | 100 |
| 2 | 2= | Yale University | US | 100 | 100 | 100 | 98 | 89 | 71 | 99.8 |
| 3 | 2= | University of Cambridge | UK | 100 | 100 | 99 | 89 | 98 | 95 | 99.5 |
| 4 | 2= | University of Oxford | UK | 100 | 100 | 100 | 85 | 96 | 96 | 98.9 |
| 5 | 7= | California Institute of Technology | US | 100 | 74 | 98 | 100 | 100 | 93 | 98.6 |
| 6 | 5 | Imperial College London | UK | 99 | 100 | 100 | 83 | 98 | 100 | 98.4 |
| 7 | 9 | University College London | UK | 96 | 99 | 100 | 89 | 96 | 100 | 98.1 |
| 8 | 7= | University of Chicago | US | 100 | 99 | 98 | 91 | 78 | 83 | 98.0 |
| 9 | 10 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | US | 100 | 100 | 90 | 100 | 33 | 94 | 96.7 |
| 10 | 11 | Columbia University | US | 100 | 99 | 98 | 94 | 29 | 89 | 96.3 |
| 11 | 14 | University of Pennsylvania | US | 97 | 98 | 88 | 99 | 83 | 79 | 96.1 |
| 12 | 6 | Princeton University | US | 100 | 98 | 75 | 100 | 91 | 82 | 95.7 |
| 13= | 13 | Duke University | US | 97 | 98 | 100 | 94 | 30 | 66 | 94.4 |
| 13= | 15 | Johns Hopkins University | US | 99 | 78 | 100 | 100 | 30 | 68 | 94.4 |
| 15 | 20= | Cornell University | US | 100 | 99 | 90 | 96 | 28 | 76 | 94.3 |
| 16 | 16 | Australian National University | Australia | 100 | 93 | 82 | 74 | 99 | 91 | 92.0 |
| 17 | 19 | Stanford University | US | 100 | 100 | 67 | 100 | 26 | 87 | 91.2 |
| 18 | 38= | University of Michigan | US | 99 | 99 | 85 | 84 | 59 | 51 | 91.0 |
| 19 | 17 | University of Tokyo | Japan | 100 | 94 | 98 | 78 | 27 | 40 | 90.0 |
| 20 | 12 | McGill University | Canada | 100 | 97 | 99 | 51 | 62 | 95 | 89.7. |
Chemistry of Materials (2007 impact factor 4.883) announced their 20 most cited papers and the top two came from Galen D. Stucky (my post doc advisor) and Vicki L. Colvin (my phd advisor):
2008 Nobel prize in Physics went to Yoichiro Nambu, Makoto Kobayashi and Toshihide Maskawa. Last year it was Germans and this year Japanese. Next year I'd like to Russian. Oh I forgot why they got the prize; for their subatomic and quark discoveries. Very nice.
This year's, 2008 Nobel Prize in Medicine was announced earlier today and went to Harald zur Hausen, Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, Luc Montagnier. Harald gets a half for his cervical cancer discovery. Françoise and Luc gets the other half by their discovery of HIV.
Here's an assortment of nano, chemistry and material science faculty positions available in the US. Thanks to MRS, C&EN and other job websites. Ball State University Assistant Professor Baylor University Asst/ Assoc Professor Environmental Science Boston University ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY Brigham Young University Continuing Faculty Status Track Position Brigham Young University CONTINUING FACULTY STATUS TRACK POSITION Brown University Faculty Position, Nanoscience Chemistry C.E.N. Tenure-Track Position California Institute of Technology CHEMICAL ENGINEER California Institute of Technology CHEMICAL PHYSICS California Institute of Technology BIOCHEMISTRY or MOLECULAR BIOPHYSICS Carnegie Mellon University Research Faculty Position, Department of Materials Science and Engineering Carnegie Mellon University Faculty Position, Department of Chemistry College of Staten Island Asst Prof of Interdisciplinary Scientific Comp Columbia University Assistant or Associate Professor Dow Corning Corporation MECHANICAL ENGINEERING FACULTY POSITIONS Drexel University Faculty Position, Department of Materials Science and Engineering Duke University Assistant Professor Florida State University TENURE-TRACK FACULTY POSITIONS Florida State University THEORETICAL OR QUANTUM CHEMISTRY Florida State University THEORETICAL OR QUANTUM CHEMISTRY Harvard University Assistant Professor Positions, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Harvard University ASSISTANT PROFESSORSHIP IN CHEMISTRY Idaho State University Analytical or Inorganic Chemistry Illinois Institute of Technology Tenured-Track Faculty Position Illinois State University Assistant Professor - Analytical Chemistry Indiana University-Purdue University FACULTY POSITIONS--CHEMISTRY & CHEMICAL BIOLOGY Indiana University-Purdue University FACULTY POSITION IN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY Kennesaw State University TENURE TRACK POSITION IN CHEMISTRY EDUCATION Louisiana State University ASSISTANT/ ASSOCIATE/ FULL PROFESSOR Loyola University Chicago Assistant or Associate Professor Loyola University Chicago Biochemistry Miami University FACULTY POSITION IN BIOPHYSICAL CHEMISTRY Miami University FACULTY POSITION IN CHEMISTRY EDUCATION Michigan State University Faculty Positions, Materials Science and Engineering Michigan State University MATERIALS CHEMISTRY AND/ OR CHEMICAL ENGINEERING Middle Tennessee State University Analytical Chemistry Mississippi State University ASSISTANT PROFESSOR PARF #4216 Mississippi State University TENURE-TRACK INORGANIC FACULTY POSITION Mississippi State University TENURE-TRACK PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY FACULTY POSITION Mississippi State University TENURE-TRACK ORGANIC CHEMISTRY FACULTY POSITIONS New Jersey Institute of Technology Assistant Professor in Synthetic Organic Chemistry New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology Materials and Metallurgical Engineering Department New York University Senior Faculty Position, Department of Chemistry, Molecular Design Institute New York University Assistant Professor New York University SENIOR FACULTY POSITION North Dakota State University Director, Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering North Dakota State University Positions Available, Center for Nanoscale Energy Related Materials Northeastern Illinois University Assistant Professor in Environmental Chemistry Northern Arizona University ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY FACULTY POSITION Oregon Health & Science University Chemical Biology/ Medical Research Oregon State University ORGANIC CHEMISTRY Oregon State University ORGANIC CHEMISTRY Oregon State University PHYSICAL/ MATERIALS CHEMISTRY Oregon State University ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY Oregon State University ORGANIC CHEMISTRY Oregon State University ASSISTANT PROFESSOR ORGANIC CHEMISTRY Oregon State University ASSISTANT PROFESSOR PHYSICAL/ MATERIALS CHEMISTRY Oregon State University ASSISTANT PROFESSOR ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY Portland State University Open rank Professor in Enviornmental Chemistry Purdue University CHEMICAL ENGINEERING Queens College/CUNY Organic Chemistry Rice University Tenure-track Faculty Position Rice University Tenure-Track Position Rochester Institute of Technology FACULTY POSITION, BIOCHEMISTRY Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Faculty Positions, Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Dean, School of Engineering Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Tenure Track Faculty - Environmental Sci & Engin Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey Tenure-Track Faculty Positions Saint Peter's College Faculty Positions South Dakota State University Assistant Professor Southern Illinois University Carbondale Tenure Track Faculty Positions Southern Methodist University DEPARTMENT CHAIR Stevens Institute of Technology Tenure-Track Faculty Position, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Stony Brook University ASSISTANT PROFESSOR - Organic Chemistry Temple University Full/ Associate/ Assistant Professor Tenure/ Tenure Temple University Tenure Track Faculty Texas A&M University Associate and Full Professor Positions, Department of Biomedical Engineering Texas A&M University Assistant or Associate Professor Positions Texas A&M University Tenure-track Faculty Positions Texas Christian University Assistant Professor Texas State University-San Marcos Faculty Positions, Electrical Engineering Texas Tech University Analytical Chemistry Texas Tech University TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY The Ohio State University Tenure-track Faculty Positions The Pennsylvania State University ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF BIOENGINEERING The Pennsylvania State University TENURE-TRACK FACULTY POSITION The Pennsylvania State University TENURE-TRACK FACULTY POSITION The University of Akron Associate Dean for Research, College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering and Director of the Institute of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering The University of Chicago ASSISTANT PROFESSOR The University of Texas at Dallas Faculty Positions, Materials Science and Engineering The University of Texas at San Antonio ASSISTANT PROFESSORS OF CHEMISTRY The University of Texas at San Antonio CHEMICAL EDUCATION FACULTY POSITION The University of Texas at San Antonio ASSOCIATE/ FULL PROFESSOR--NANOMATERIALS The University of Toledo Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering The University of Virginia Faculty Postion, Experimental Condensed Matter Physics Towson University Assistant Professor, Analytical Forensic Chemistry Tufts University ASSISTANT PROFESSORS University of Akron Assistant Professor of Biochemistry University of Boulder Theoretical Chemistry University of California Berkeley Faculty Position in Chemistry University of California Irvine FACULTY POSITION IN INORGANIC CHEMISTRY University of California Merced FACULTY POSITIONS IN CHEMISTRY University of California, San Diego Faculty Position, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering University of California, San Diego Tenure-track or Tenured Faculty Positions University of California, San Francisco TENURE TRACK POSITION University of California, Santa Barbara ORGANIC CHEMISTRY University of Central Florida Faculty Positions, NanoScience Technology Center University of Colorado Boulder NANOSCIENCE University of Connecticut Faculty Postions, School of Engineering University of Delaware Assistant/ Associate Professor(s) Chem. Engineering University of Florida Tenure Track Faculty Position University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Faculty Positions, Department of Materials Science and Engineering University of Iowa - Department of Chemistry Assistant Prof. of Organic or Inorganic Chemistry University of Iowa - Department of Chemistry Assistant Professor of Analytical Chemistry University of Kentucky Faculty Positions, Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering University of Massachusetts Amherst Faculty Position in Inorganic & Physical Chemistry University of Memphis Tenure-track Faculty Position University of Michigan Faculty Position in Chemical Biology University of Minnesota Assistant/ Associate Professor, Flavor Chemistry University of Minnesota Chemical Engineering & Materials Science University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy Asst/ Assoc Professor - Drug/ Device Combinations University of Minnesota—Twin Cities 3M Harry Heltzer Multidisciplinary Chair in Science and Technology University of Nebraska Assistant or Associate Professor University of New Orleans FACULTY POSITION IN BIOANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY University of North Dakota Faculty Position University of Notre Dame BIOCHEMISTRY AND BIOPHYSICS FACULTY POSITIONS University of Oregon Organic Chemistry Faculty Position University of Pennsylvania Faculty Positions, Department of Materials Science and Engineering University of Pennsylvania Faculty Position in Chemistry University of San Diego Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry University of South Carolina Assistant Professor Positions, Polymer Nanotechnology University of Southern California Faculty Positions, Polymers and Biopolymers University of Southern Mississippi Tenure Track Position University of Southern Mississippi Assistant or Associate Professor University of Tennessee ASSISTANT PROFESSOR University of Texas El Paso ROBERT A. WELCH CHAIR IN CHEMISTRY University of Texas San Marcos Materials Chemistry University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Faculty Position in Organic Chemistry University of Toledo Assistant/ Associate Professor University of Utah Tenure-Track Position, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering University of Utah Tenure-track Positions University of Utah Tenure-Track Positions University of Virginia Assistant Professor of Chemistry University of Virginia Assistant Professor of Chemistry University of Washington FACULTY POSITIONS University of Washington FACULTY POSITIONS University of Wisconsin Drug Discovery and Drug Delivery University of Wisconsin FACULTY POSITION University of Wisconsin Materials Science University of Wisconsin Eau Claire OPEN SEARCHÂ University of Wisconsin-La Crosse TWO FACULTY POSITIONS IN CHEMISTRY University of Wisconsin–Madison Faculty Positions, Materials Science and Engineering University of Wyoming INORGANIC CHEMISTRY Utah State University ASSISTANT PROFESSOR Vanderbilt University Tenure-Track Faculty Position Wake Forest University Faculty Positons, Condensed Matter Physics Wake Forest University ORGANIC CHEMISTRY Washington University in St. Louis Multiple Positions Wayne State University NANOMATERIALS CHEMISTRY Wayne State University INORGANIC CHEMISTRY FACULTY POSITION Wayne State University THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY Wesleyan University Experimental Chemistry/ Material Science Wesleyan University Faculty Positions in Biochemistry and Cell Biology Western Washington University Faculty Positons, Advanced Materials Science and Engineering Center
I'd never think there would be new ways to make gold nanoparticles. Especially more robust. We know well that gold likes to get involved with other stuff in a solution. But Dong et al. (from Matyjaszewski group at Carnegie Mellon) showed that they can form the nanoparticles with a thick robust shell right out of the pot. They even heated the solutions up to 110 oC! And yet their nano gold didn't lose their surface plasmon resonance (just compare the left -the usual- and right -theirs- in the figure posted here). Pretty amazing.
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DNA scaffolding is getting hotter everyday. Aldaye et al. (from Sleiman group at McGill) crafted a remarkable review in this week's issue of Science. Three names are visual in this area: Paul Alivisatos of Berkeley (especially for their 1D DNA scaffolds), Richard Kiehl of Minnesota (click here for their Nano Letters paper on 2D DNA templates), Hao Yan of Arizona State (again 2D) and Ned Seeman of NYU (another 2D DNA scaffolding).
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