Topics in current chemistry 

About: Topics in current chemistry is an academic journal published by Springer Science+Business Media. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Medicine & Chemistry. It has an ISSN identifier of 0340-1022. Over the lifetime, 72 publications have been published receiving 255 citations. The journal is also known as: Fortschritte der chemischen Forschung (1973) & Topics in current chemistry (Print).

Determination and Imaging of Small Biomolecules and Ions Using Ruthenium(II) Complex-Based Chemosensors

Abstract: Abstract Luminescence chemosensors are one of the most useful tools for the determination and imaging of small biomolecules and ions in situ in real time. Based on the unique photo-physical/-chemical properties of ruthenium(II) (Ru(II)) complexes, the development of Ru(II) complex-based chemosensors has attracted increasing attention in recent years, and thus many Ru(II) complexes have been designed and synthesized for the detection of ions and small biomolecules in biological and environmental samples. In this work, we summarize the research advances in the development of Ru(II) complex-based chemosensors for the determination of ions and small biomolecules, including anions, metal ions, reactive biomolecules and amino acids, with a particular focus on binding/reaction-based chemosensors for the investigation of intracellular analytes’ evolution through luminescence analysis and imaging. The advances, challenges and future research directions in the development of Ru(II) complex-based chemosensors are also discussed.

Photocatalytic Reforming of Biomass: What Role Will the Technology Play in Future Energy Systems

Abstract: Photocatalytic reforming of biomass has emerged as an area of significant interest within the last decade. The number of papers published in the literature has been steadily increasing with keywords such as 'hydrogen' and 'visible' becoming prominent research topics. There are likely two primary drivers behind this, the first of which is that biomass represents a more sustainable photocatalytic feedstock for reforming to value-added products and energy. The second is the transition towards achieving net zero emission targets, which has increased focus on the development of technologies that could play a role in future energy systems. Therefore, this review provides a perspective on not only the current state of the research but also a future outlook on the potential roadmap for photocatalytic reforming of biomass. Producing energy via photocatalytic biomass reforming is very desirable due to the ambient operating conditions and potential to utilise renewable energy (e.g., solar) with a wide variety of biomass resources. As both interest and development within this field continues to grow, however, there are challenges being identified that are paramount to further advancement. In reviewing both the literature and trajectory of the field, research priorities can be identified and utilised to facilitate fundamental research alongside whole systems evaluation. Moreover, this would underpin the enhancement of photocatalytic technology with a view towards improving the technology readiness level and promoting engagement between academia and industry.

The Role of Metal Nanoparticles in Promoting Photocatalysis by TiO2

Abstract: In this review, we highlight the role played by metal nanoparticles (NPs) in photocatalytic oxidation with titania as a support. This is presented in two parts, namely, partial photo-oxidation in which an organic sacrificial agent is oxidised in anaerobic conditions to produce hydrogen (photo-reforming), and photo-oxidative mineralisation of organics in aerobic conditions. We present some rules for such reactions that dictate which organic molecules can react readily, and which metals are likely to be useful for such reactions. Generally, the presence of metal NPs enhances enormously the ability of titania to yield hydrogen from photo-reforming, and a wide range of molecules can be used, including biomass. The metal NPs most used are those that are easily reduced, that is, the precious metals. The large enhancement in rate seen with metal for hydrogen production is not so extreme for the oxidation reactions, but is still significant. An important factor in all of this catalysis is the nature of the interaction between the metal NPs, which can play a multiplicity of chemical and electronic roles, and the photoactive support. A sharp dependency of rate on loading of metal is found, with maximum rates at ~0.5-2 wt% loading, depending on the metal used. The source of this dependency is the bifunctional nature of the system, in which the intimacy of both materials is crucial to performance. This rate variation is linked to the interface between the two, which is then linked to the size of the metal NPs. In fact, the rate is proportional to an area adjacent to the metal particles that we call the expanding photocatalytic area and overlap (EPAO) kinetic model. This model describes the dependence well. Rising rates with increasing coverage of particles is associated with increase in this total area but, at the maximum, these areas overlap and at higher loadings the available active area diminishes, reproducing the observed behaviour well.