April 2017

The most cited article published in April 2017 with the participation of ICMAB researchers is an article published in Nature Materials. ICMAB researcher Xavier Torrelles is one of the main authors of the article. The study is in collaboration with the London Centre for Nanotechnology and Department of Chemistry (University College London, UK), the ESRF and the Sorbonne Université in France, and the University of Warwick and the University of Manchester in UK. 

Structure of a model TiO2 photocatalytic interface. Hussain, H.; Tocci, G.; Woolcot, T.; Torrelles, X.; Pang, C. L.; Humphrey, D. S.; Yim, C. M.; Grinter, D. C.; Cabailh, G.; Bikondoa, O.; Lindsay, R.; Zegenhagen, J.; Michaelides, A.; Thornton, G.. NATURE MATERIALS. APR 2017, 16, 4, 461. DOI: 10.1038/NMAT4793

The interaction of water with TiO₂ is crucial to many of its practical applications, including photocatalytic water splitting. Following the first demonstration of this phenomenon 40 years ago there have been numerous studies of the TiO₂ interface with water, providing an atomic-level understanding of this interaction. However, all the studies involve water in the vapour phase. Here we explore the liquid water-TiO₂ interaction to shed some light on the mechanisms involved in TiO₂ photocatalysis. 

May 2017

In May we have not one, but three most cited articles, with the same number of citations, and dealing with differnet topics.

• The first one is published in  ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, and features a study in collaboration between ICMAB, the UAB, the ICN2, the Institute of Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic and, the ALBA Synchrotron Light Facility. 

Electric-Field-Adjustable Time-Dependent Magnetoelectric Response in Martensitic FeRh Alloy. Fina, Ignasi; Quintana, Alberto; Padilla-Pantoja, Jessica; Marti, Xavier; Macia, Ferran; Sanchez, Florencio; Foerster, Michael; Aballe, Lucia; Fontcuberta, Josep; Sort, Jordi. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES. MAY 10 2017, 9, 18, 15577-15582. DOI: 10.1021/acsami.7b00476.

The article deals with the flexible magnetoelectric response of a FeRh alloy, which can be exploited not only for energy-efficient memory operations but also in other applications, where multilevel and/or transient responses are required.The magnetoelectric response is selectable and adjustable by only varying the amplitude of the applied electric field.

• The next one is published in Inorganic Chemistry, and includes researchers from ICMAB, from the Universitat de Girona, the Laboratorio de Estudios Cristalográficos (IACT) in Grnada, and the University of Jyväsklä in Finland. 

m-Carboranylphosphinate as Versatile Building Blocks To Design all Inorganic Coordination Polymers. Oleshkevich, Elena; Vinas, Clara; Romero, Isabel; Choquesillo-Lazarte, Duane; Haukka, Matti; Teixidor, Francesc. INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, MAY 15 2017, 56, 10, 5502-5505. DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.7b00610.

The first examples of coordination polymers of manganese(II) and a nickel(II) complex with a purely inorganic carboranylphosphinate ligand are reported, together with its exhaustive characterization and study of its reactivity with water. X-ray analysis revealed 1D polymeric chains with carboranylphosphinate ligands bridging two manganese(II) centers.

• The last one is published in Crystal Growth & Design and is performed by ICMAB researchers in collaboration with the Universitat de Barcelona (UB) and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB). 

Metal-Organic Frameworks Precipitated by Reactive Crystallization in Supercritical CO₂. Lopez-Periago, Ana M.; Portoles-Gil, Nuria; Lopez-Dominguez, Pedro; Fraile, Julio; Saurina, Javier; Aliaga-Alcalde, Nuria; Tobias, Gerard; Ayllon, Jose A.; Domingo, Concepcion. CRYSTAL GROWTH & DESIGN. MAY 2017, 17, 5, 2864-2872. DOI: 10.1021/acs.cgd.7b00378.

Fine chemical and pharmaceutical companies often employ reactive crystallization or precipitation to make crystalline intermediates and finished products. In this work, the supercritical reactive crystallization route is used for the precipitation of diverse metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). Obtained crystals were analyzed from a morphological point of view by scanning electron microscopy analysis to elucidate potential formation mechanisms. The focus was on the obtained crystal habits at different reaction points, linked to the precipitation mode and the role of kinetic and thermodynamic crystal growth control. The supercritical procedure led to the crystallization of stable hierarchical nanostructures with micro- and mesoporosity and the precipitation of nanocrystals.