Wiley-VCH

On the occasion of its 125th anniversary, the journal Angewandte Chemie is treating its readers to a special issue, which contains no less than 16 contributions from chemistry Nobel Laureates, and also a symposium that will take place in Berlin in March and will feature three Nobel Laureates. In its 125-year history, the journal has developed from a magazine for the chemical industry in German-speaking countries (that's where the name of the journal comes from: Angewandte Chemie means "applied chemistry") to a modern global medium for fundamental chemical research. Both the English and German editions are available electronically, a form that has long since overtaken the printed issues. The journal has always been owned by scientific societies, and since 1947 it has been in the hands of the Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (GDCh; German Chemical Society), in close cooperation with its scientific publisher Wiley-VCH.

Paper is one of the surfaces most commonly tested for fingerprints in forensics. Unfortunately, it is particularly difficult to make fingerprints on paper visible. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, Israeli scientists have now introduced a new method developed specifically for use on paper. It produces a “negative” of the fingerprint and is, in contrast to conventional methods, independent of the composition of the sweat residue left behind.

“Blood is quite a peculiar kind of juice“—that is what Mephisto knew, according to Goethe’s “Faust“. But if blood really is very special, then erythropoietin (EPO) must be a very special molecule, as it triggers the production of our red blood cells. After ten years of intense research, American scientists have now succeeded in making a fully synthetic version of this special molecule. This achievement represents a landmark advance in the chemical synthesis of complex biological molecules from basic building blocks.

One of the largest challenges of chemotherapy lies in the fact that cancer cells must be killed while healthy tissue must be protected. French researchers have now introduced a new approach in the journal Angewandte Chemie: The enzyme β-galactosidase releases the active drug from an inactive precursor, known as a prodrug, which can only be taken up by tumor cells.

Carbon dioxide could be a useful alternative source of carbon for the chemical industry. It is inexpensive, is supplied in abundance by nature, and would help to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels. In addition, it would significantly improve the carbon footprint of fuels and chemical products. The largest barrier to this process is the high stability of the carbon dioxide molecule. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, Spanish researchers have now introduced a new process that traps carbon dioxide in the form of silyl formates, which are silicon-containing formic acid esters.

Electronic noses are used to sniff out exhaust fumes and assist with quality control of foods. Less well known is the fact that equivalent devices, electronic tongues, are capable of recognizing dissolved substances. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, French researchers have now presented a new and particularly simple approach to making an electronic tongue that can differentiate between proteins.

The most common form of strokes are caused by a sudden reduction in blood flow to the brain (ischemia) that leads to an inadequate supply of oxygen and nutrients. These so-called ischemic strokes are one of the leading causes of death and disability in industrialized nations. If they are not immediately remedied by medical intervention, areas of the brain may die off. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, Korean researchers have now proposed a new approach for supplemental treatment: Ceria nanoparticles could trap the reactive oxygen compounds that result from ischemia and cause cells to die.

Luminescent carbon nanoparticles based on carbon exhibit advantageous optical properties. They are also biocompatible, and therefore better suited for imaging procedures in the biosciences than metal-based semiconductor quantum dots. A variety of processes have thus been developed to make these miniature objects known as carbon dots or C-dots. Chinese researchers have now introduced a new method in the journal Angewandte Chemie, by which C-dots can be produced particularly quickly and inexpensively. In addition, they have demonstrated the use of these luminescent dots as printer ink.

In living systems, complex nano- and microscale structures perform a host of physical and biological functions. While two-dimensional patterns can be recreated fairly well with techniques like microlithography, three-dimensional structures represent a big challenge. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, American researchers have now reported a new method for the lithography-free etching of complex surface motifs with the use of biodegradable polymers and enzymes. Starting with structured microchannels, they have built an assembly for the isolation and concentration of cells from whole blood.

Highly sensitive and highly selective tests are important for the early detection of disease, the detection of environmental toxins, or for the detection of explosives at airports. Increased selectivity for the target analytes helps to avoid false-positive results. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, Indian scientists have now introduced a specific detection method for the explosive TNT that can be used to detect even a single molecule.

Gold is not just the material of choice for pretty jewelry; it is also used in technology, for example in nanoscopic particles for applications such as catalysis, biomedicine, and sensors. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, a team of American and Chinese researchers has now demonstrated that the morphology of gold nanoparticles can be controlled when they are synthesized in the presence of DNA. Depending on the DNA sequence used, the shape and surface roughness can be varied.

To reduce fossil fuel consumption while simultaneously improving the carbon footprint of fuels and chemical products, the use of carbon dioxide as a carbon source could be an attractive option. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, German researchers have now introduced a method by which carbon dioxide can be catalytically hydrogenated to make formic acid. In this process, carbon dioxide is not only a starting material; it also acts—in a supercritical state—as the solvent for separation of the product. This integrated approach makes it possible to directly obtain free formic acid as the product in a single step for the first time.

Fingerprints are not just important in forensics and the identification of people; they can also be used for security clearance, access control, and the authentication of documents. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, Chinese researchers have now introduced a new fast method to make fingerprints visible at high resolution.

Gram staining of bacteria is a routine diagnostic method of long standing that can be used for initial diagnoses and to simplify the choice of antibiotics. It is a simple way to classify bacteria into two classes—Gram-positive and Gram-negative—under a microscope. In the journal Angewandte Chemie, American researchers have now introduced an improvement to this method: magnetic Gram staining. This allows for the class-specific, automated, magnetic detection and separation of bacteria.