Although gold is the subject of one of the most ancient themes of investigation in science, its renaissance now leads to an exponentially increasing number of publications, especially in the context of emerging nanoscience and nanotechnology with nanoparticles and self-assembled monolayers (SAMs). We will limit the present review to gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), also called gold colloids. AuNPs are the most stable metal nanoparticles, and they present fascinating aspects such as their assembly of multiple types involving materials science, the behavior of the individual particles, size-related electronic, magnetic and optical properties (quantum size effect), and their applications to catalysis and biology. Their promises are in these fields as well as in the bottom-up approach of nanotechnology, and they will be key materials and building block in the 21st century. Whereas the extraction of gold started in the 5th millennium B.C. near Varna (Bulgaria) and reached 10 tons per year in Egypt around 1200-1300 B.C. when the marvelous statue of Touthankamon was constructed, it is probable that “soluble” gold appeared around the 5th or 4th century B.C. in Egypt and China. In antiquity, materials were used in an ecological sense for both aesthetic and curative purposes. Colloidal gold was used to make ruby glass 293 Chem. Rev. 2004, 104, 293−346

Gold nanoparticles: assembly, supramolecular chemistry, quantum-size-related properties, and applications toward biology, catalysis, and nanotechnology.

Titanium Dioxide Nanomaterials: Synthesis, Properties, Modifications, and Applications

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSCs) offer the possibilities to design solar cells with a large flexibility in shape, color, and transparency. DSC research groups have been established around the worl ...

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Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

J. Appl. Cryst.の発刊に際して

The long-standing challenge of designing and constructing new crystalline solid-state materials from molecular building blocks is just beginning to be addressed with success. A conceptual approach that requires the use of secondary building units to direct the assembly of ordered frameworks epitomizes this process: we call this approach reticular synthesis. This chemistry has yielded materials designed to have predetermined structures, compositions and properties. In particular, highly porous frameworks held together by strong metal-oxygen-carbon bonds and with exceptionally large surface area and capacity for gas storage have been prepared and their pore metrics systematically varied and functionalized.

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Reticular synthesis and the design of new materials

Family history of aortic aneurysm is an independent risk factor for more rapid growth of small abdominal aortic aneurysms in Japan.

A photo-induced valence tautomerism was observed in a Co complex, [CoIII-LS(phen)(3,5-DBSQ)(3,5-DBCat)]. In this system, visible light illumination induces an electron transfer from 3,5-DBCat to CoIII-LS, producing [CoII-HS(phen)(3,5-DBSQ)2]. The resultant photo-induced metastable state could be trapped more than 1 h at 5 K.

Photo-induced long-lived intramolecular electron transfer in a Co valence tautomeric complex

Control of photonic band structure by molecular aggregates [14]

Reversible controlling and switching of magnetic bistability remains relatively difficult. Here, reversible on–off switching of a hysteretic spin transition in a CoII complex via a single-crystal t...

Reversible On–Off Switching of the Hysteretic Spin Crossover in a Cobalt(II) Complex via Crystal to Crystal Transformation

A dipping method has been developed for the infiltration of nanoparticles into an opal template to fabricate high quality inverse opal. Titania and silica inverse opal films, with a uniform color over centimeter dimensions were derived. As there is no need for special substrates or equipment, a widespread application of this method is anticipated.

Infiltration of colloidal crystal with nanoparticles using capillary forces: a simple technique for the fabrication of films with an ordered porous structure

Osamu Sato

Papers

Family history of aortic aneurysm is an independent risk factor for more rapid growth of small abdominal aortic aneurysms in Japan.

Photo-induced long-lived intramolecular electron transfer in a Co valence tautomeric complex

Control of photonic band structure by molecular aggregates [14]

Reversible On–Off Switching of the Hysteretic Spin Crossover in a Cobalt(II) Complex via Crystal to Crystal Transformation

Infiltration of colloidal crystal with nanoparticles using capillary forces: a simple technique for the fabrication of films with an ordered porous structure