Vol. 104 No. 1 (2008)

: We are all surrounded by chemical sensors. Nonetheless, the advances in Science and Technology, besides the regularly updated environmental laws are increasingly requiring the development of improved prototypes. Therefore, the development of molecular materials and Organic Electronics is making possible the conception of next generation sensors, potentially more versatile than those used so far. To report the interest of the topic, we will consider the phthalocyanines as key molecule/material for their evolution in the framework of both gas and liquid sensors.

Keywords: Sensor, molecular material, phthalocyanines, Organic Electronics, electronic tongue

The succesful development of new catalysts combining higher catalytic activities, durability and functional group tolerance has contributed to place the metathesis reactions at the top of the methods for C-C bond forming reactions. In the last decade we have witnessed the key role of metathesis reactions in the field of total synthesis of complex natural products. Some of the most recent and noticeable applications in this area have been reviewed in this article.

Glycoproteins have attracted much attention in recent years because they are involved in fundamental biological processes. At the present moment, the mechanisms that allow the carbohydrate to modify the conformational equilibrium of the peptide backbone and viceversa remain to be elucidated, which is essential to discern how glycoproteins interact with their biological targets. On this basis, our group is working in the synthesis and the conformational analysis in aqueous solution of different model peptides and glycopeptides. The conformational analysis combines Nuclear Magnetic Resonance data with Molecular Dynamics simulations and DFT calculations.

The catalytic removal of soot and NO_x from Diesel-engine exhausts has been studied by combining laboratory and powerbench experiments. It is concluded that the elimination of both pollutants could be carried out with a three-step catalytic system: 1st) a soot trap loaded with a Pt/CeO₂ catalyst, which allows trap regeneration around 500ºC (the role of this catalyst is to oxidise NO to NO₂ , and the catalytic activity depends on the BET surface area of the cerium oxide); 2nd) a Pt catalysts for the Selective Catalytic Reduction of NOx by C3H6 operating at 225−325ºC and 3rd) a Rh/CeO₂ catalyst for N₂O decomposition.

The present text proposes diverse strategies that could be used in order to (i) get Chemistry students acquainted with environmental Chemistry aspects, and (ii) depict Chemistry as a science in close relationship with students' personal, social and academic context. Diverse examples of environment-related wordings of numerical problems and theoretical questions are presented. They are compared to the usual statements of similar problems. These examples apply to different Chemistry disciplines. Finally, some remarks and environmental knowledge that help incorporate the suggested alternative wordings are included.

In the present paper, valence bond theory is used to rationalize the higher coordination numbers using the precise set of s, p, d or f orbitals that participate in a defined geometry. For coordination numbers eight and nine, some troubles are clearly solved. For coordination numbers ten to twelve, looking at the data of the literature we can conclude that do not exist monodentate ligands which offer the capability to form such coordination numbers.

The experience below mentioned is a proposal to make the concept of molecule in 3º ESO clearer. The methodology is active, as it is directed to students who will follow a real process of investigation and will try to solve unknown problems. After the activity the chemical formulation appears as a necessity to represent the molecular structures in an easy and short way. A full description of the experience can be found on the internet,[1] where teachers can watch a video recorded during a class [2] and unload the proposed documents for investigation

Avelino Corma recibe el Premio "Garbor A. Somor­jai" de la American Chemical Society • Pablo Espinet, Premio "Elhuyar­Goldschmidt" de la Sociedad Alemana de Química • Entrega del Premio "José María Savirón" de Divulgación Científica 2007 a Pascual Román Po­lo (Zaragoza, 29/02/2008) • Gabriel Pinto, Premio a la "Excelencia Docente" de la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid• El orden de los elementos antes y después de Mendeléiev. Una exposición virtual • Dr. Joan María Coronas Ribera (1912-2007). In Memoriam • Presentación del libro Nomenclatura de Química Inorgánica. Recomendaciones de la IUPAC de 2005 (Residencia de Estudiantes, Madrid, 16/10/2007) Noticias Científicas Relevantes Calendario de Eventos 2008-2009 Normas de Publicación