A closer look inside living matter has revealed that basic units of living beings, such as proteins, nucleic acids, and macromolecular assemblies, have sizes on the nanometer scale. Interestingly, these basic units present spectacular reactivity and chemical specificity that were naturally optimized through life evolution. However natural evolution has so far failed to incorporate into […]
Chemists are naturally more interested in what is there rather than what is not. We are spontaneously drawn to the chemical core of compounds and materials: the atoms, the ways in which they are connected and their interactions with electromagnetic radiation, other atoms/molecules or even biological systems. However, when it comes to porous materials we […]
The maturation of synthetic methodologies over the past century has transformed chemistry from a largely empirical to a rational science. Following this golden era of chemical synthesis, any thermodynamically stable molecule can be synthesized given enough resources and time. At this point in time, an apparent lack of major challenges in the field has been […]
In a recent review contribution of Jongkook Hwang, Aleksander Ejsmont, Ralph Freund, Joanna Gościańska, Bernhard Schmidt and us we discuss the challenge to control the morphology of metal oxides, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), and porous carbon materials. We hope to bring to the attention of material community the importance of using smart ideas to shape and […]
In a recent contribution of Zhe Ji, Haoze Wang, Stefano Canossa, Omar M. Yaghi and us we developed the concept of MOF pore chemistry with an emphasis on the precise positioning of functionalities. Depending on whether there is an interplay between functionalities, we define three functionalization strategies: site isolation, site coupling, and site cooperation. By […]
“The dose makes the poison!” This adage, attributed to Paracelsus , explains a basic principle of toxicology: a substance can produce a harmful effect only if it reaches a certain “toxic” concentration. In reverse, it also means that a substance is not harmful below this toxic dose, and can even be vitally important for a […]
In our essay we bring to the attention of the material science community the importance of evaluating architectural damage made to porous materials in their prolonged usage. In the article, we present an overview of chemical, mechanical, and thermal origins of architectural damage (see image below) and provide general guidelines for its thorough assessment, prevention, […]
On December 19th, the Basque minister Lehendakari Iñigo Urkullu, together with the Minister of Education Cristina Uriarte and the rector of the UPV / EHU Nekane Balluerka, visited the new headquarters of BCMaterials. They all visited the new research facilities that BERC center (Basque Excellence Research Center) offers and discussed the research focus and vision […]
Stefan Wuttke received a precious Ikerbasque Research Professor position at the BCMaterials – Basque Center for Materials, Applications and Nanostructures. He is currently creating his brand new labs at the institute. The center is part of the Basque Excellence Research Centers (Basque Foundation for Science) network and is located near Bilbao. The mission of BCMaterials […]
In our new review article, we aim at providing a set of guidelines (see image below) to investigate and characterize the key parameters defining a nanoparticle sample, namely size, shape, surface charge, and porosity. We define these physicochemical terms and their implication in affecting nanoparticle properties. We then provide a critical overview of established and […]