Correction: Highly efficient green up-conversion emission from fluoroindate glass nanoparticles functionalized with a biocompatible polymer

Correction for ‘Highly efficient green up-conversion emission from fluoroindate glass nanoparticles functionalized with a biocompatible polymer’ by G. Lesly Jimenez et al., RSC Adv., 2022, 12, 20074–20079, https://doi.org/10.1039/D2RA03171J.

The authors regret that the name of one of the authors (Tyrone Porter) was shown incorrectly in the original article. The corrected author list is as shown above.The Royal Society of Chemistry apologises for these errors and any consequent inconvenience to authors and readers.     

Correction: theoretical study on the mechanism,chemo- and enantioselectivity of the Ag- vs. Rh-catalyzed intramolecular carbene transfer reaction of diazoacetamides

Correction for ‘Theoretical study on the mechanism, chemo- and enantioselectivity of the Ag- vs. Rh-catalyzed intramolecular carbene transfer reaction of diazoacetamides'' by Qingmin Song et al., RSC Adv., 2022, 12, 18197–18208, https://doi.org/10.1039/D2RA01298G.

The authors regret that the name of one of the authors (Nikolaos V. Tzouras) was shown incorrectly in the original article. The corrected author list is as shown above.The Royal Society of Chemistry apologises for these errors and any consequent inconvenience to authors and readers.     

Correction: Facile preparation of a polypyrrole modified Chinese yam peel-based adsorbent: characterization,performance, and application in removal of Congo red dye

Correction for ‘Facile preparation of a polypyrrole modified Chinese yam peel-based adsorbent: characterization, performance, and application in removal of Congo red dye’ by Yan Wang et al., RSC Adv., 2022, 12, 9424–9434, https://doi.org/10.1039/D1RA08280A.

The authors regret that in the Acknowledgements section, the fund number for the National College Student Innovation Training Program was incomplete. The correct fund number for the National College Student Innovation Training Program is 202110879021.The Royal Society of Chemistry apologises for these errors and any consequent inconvenience to authors and readers.     

Correction: Preparation and characterization of a novel drug-loaded Bi-layer scaffold for cartilage regeneration

Correction for ‘Preparation and characterization of a novel drug-loaded Bi-layer scaffold for cartilage regeneration’ by Yunqing Yue et al., RSC Adv., 2022, 12, 9524–9533, https://doi.org/10.1039/D2RA00311B.

The authors regret that part of Fig. 1 and the Graphical Abstract were reproduced from a published article without appropriate acknowledgment. The reference to be included is Girão et al., Compos. B. Eng., 2018, 154, 99–107, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2018.08.001.Girão et al. have granted permission for part of their Fig. 1 to be used in “Preparation and characterization of a novel drug-loaded Bi-layer scaffold for cartilage regeneration”.The Royal Society of Chemistry apologises for these errors and any consequent inconvenience to authors and readers.     

Correction: Synthesis and characterizations of YZ-BDC:Eu3+,Tb3+ nanothermometers for luminescence-based temperature sensing

Correction for ‘Synthesis and characterizations of YZ-BDC:Eu³⁺,Tb³⁺ nanothermometers for luminescence-based temperature sensing’ by Lam Thi Kieu Giang et al., RSC Adv., 2022, 12, 13065–13073, https://doi.org/10.1039/D2RA01759H.

The authors regret the omission of a funding acknowledgement in the original article. This acknowledgement is given below.Karolina Trejgis is supported by the Foundation for Polish Science (FNP).The Royal Society of Chemistry apologises for these errors and any consequent inconvenience to authors and readers.     

Introduction to the RSC Advances Emerging Investigators series 2021

RSC Advances is proud to present the 2021 Emerging Investigators series. Guest Edited by Professor James Batteas (Texas A&M University), this series showcases some of the very best work from chemists in the early stages of their independent careers.

We are so pleased to introduce this first issue of our RSC Advances Emerging Investigators series! Launched in 2021, the series seeks to highlight up and coming researchers. Selection for the Emerging Investigators series comes in part from the recommendations of our Editorial Board as well as our Associate Editors. Authors can also self-nominate for participation and review by our Associate Editors for the journal. In keeping with the theme of RSC Advances as a cross-cutting chemistry journal, in this inaugural issue we have 23 papers spanning the breadth of chemistry on topics ranging from the development and application of analytical tools and devices for chemical analysis, to the design and synthesis of bioactive materials for disease treatments, to catalysis and synthesis of new materials.We introduce the 2021 series with a Review article by Dusselier et al. (https://doi.org/10.1039/D1RA02887A) which discusses the ambiguity in our current understanding of the mechanisms behind interzeolite conversion as a technique for the synthesis of zeolite frameworks. This article highlights how heteroatoms such as aluminium have important roles in this process.We then launch into a series of analytical contributions to introduce the primary research papers in this collection. Paixão et al. (https://doi.org/10.1039/D0RA08874A) explore the development of electrochemical paper-based analytical devices for low-cost electrochemical sensing, in which even pencil-drawn electrodes can be used for device fabrication. Lewis et al. (https://doi.org/10.1039/D1RA04470B) show how 2D tin sulfide nanosheets can be assembled using simple Langmuir–Blodgett techniques to create novel, solution processed photodetectors. Next, Lucena et al. (https://doi.org/10.1039/D1RA02721B) discuss how chemically functionalized hypodermic needles can be used for selective extraction of tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) drugs from oral fluid as a simple and convenient approach for in-needle microextractions, allowing the samples to be further rapidly analyzed by mass spectrometry. Rapid screening of chemical compounds is of course an essential component of understanding and identifying materials for protein assays. To this end, Trader et al. (https://doi.org/10.1039/D0RA10976B) developed one-bead-one-compound (OBOC) libraries in which a target oncoprotein, gankyrin, is labeled with a NIR range fluorophore, and screened against a 343-member peptoid library to afford a method to quickly identify quality binders to a target protein of interest. Tsai et al. (https://doi.org/10.1039/D1RA04875A) developed an acoustofluidic method for the detachment of cells adhered onto a microchannel surface, without exposing the cells to any enzymatic or non-enzymatic compounds. This approach demonstrates a rapid, easy-to-operate, and cost-effective means of detaching or probing the adhesion strength of different cell types in various lab-on-a-chip applications. Lastly, Gupta et al. (https://doi.org/10.1039/D1RA08610C) prepare hydrogel gratings with an analyte responsive dye. The patterned dye is its own dispersive element, and therefore can enable the gratings to provide spectroscopic information without the use of external spectrophotometers.Synthesis of new materials is of course a cornerstone of chemistry, and in the work highlighted in this issue, we see studies from Rodrigues et al. (https://doi.org/10.1039/D0RA10859F) in which carbon dots (C-dots) could be synthesized from a variety of carbon sources, which when functionalized with phenylboronic acid (PBA) yielded a highly efficient glucose sensor via bioimaging, and also offer the potential for cancer treatment as they could be used to induce necrosis in tumor tissues in cancer-bearing mice. Continuing in the theme of cancer treatments, Pianowski et al. (https://doi.org/10.1039/D0RA08893E) demonstrated that nontoxic supramolecular low-MW hydrogels could be used to quickly and selectively release potent anticancer agents upon light irradiation. Similarly, Sarkar et al. (https://doi.org/10.1039/D1RA01660A) synthesized an amphiphilic polymer, poly(PEGMA-co-SEMA) (BCP), by controlled reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The core–shell supramolecular assembly polymeric nano-architecture formed could be used as an efficient delivery system for anticancer drugs like doxorubicin (DOX). While polymeric materials can act as drug delivery agents, they can also act as protective coatings, as Heredia et al. (https://doi.org/10.1039/D1RA03417K) show in their work in which antimicrobial coatings could be created using films of PEDOT–fullerene C₆₀ polymeric dyads. These films enable surface coatings that are self-sterilizing, as pathogens can be inactivated using the photodynamic activation of reactive oxygen. Here the authors demonstrated photosensitized inactivation by the electropolymerized films on bacteria suspensions with a >99.9% reduction in S. aureus survival. Finally, Pal et al. (https://doi.org/10.1039/D1RA07425C) develop some hydrophobic polymers with low glass transition temperatures that can be used in photovoltaic devices, where systems with smart polymeric coatings can optimize durability and efficacy. The polymers that they develop display photo-regulated self-healing mechanisms.Sustainable synthesis also continues to be a major theme in chemistry and in this issue, Egbedina et al. (https://doi.org/10.1039/D1RA01130H) use ZnO biochar (made from coconut husks, kaolinite and ZnCl₂) to make materials for wastewater treatment to remove unused antibiotics. Cleanup of plastics from water is also a critical challenge facing us, and Tiwary et al. (https://doi.org/10.1039/D1RA03097C) show how a schwarzite based 3D-printed water filter can be used for the cleanup of nanoplastics. But sustainability goes beyond just remediation. Hahn et al. (https://doi.org/10.1039/D1RA03692K) show that the immobilization of polyketide synthase through crosslinking could yield recyclable catalysts for chiral synthesis. In addition to being environmentally more benign, cost savings through the design of new scalable catalysts are also impactful. Zhang et al. (https://doi.org/10.1039/D1RA04112F) show us how efficient cross-coupling of aryl halides can be accomplished with high selectivity and low cost using a new atomically dispersed copper catalyst (Cu–ZnO–ZrO₂).The design of materials also takes on key challenges in discovering critical structure/function relationships. For example, Luo et al. (https://doi.org/10.1039/D1RA03366B) examine how plastic crystals of neopentyl glycol (NPG) can exhibit high ionic conductivities, making them promising candidates for applications in fuel cells, batteries, and supercapacitors. In terms of controlling unique optical properties of materials, Leitao et al. (https://doi.org/10.1039/D1RA02961D) was able to synthesize stable naphthalene bridged disilanes, capable of forming stable excimer complexes in non-polar solvents. The materials provide opportunities to create novel light emitting devices and/or photocurrent generators for solar cells. Around the development of supramolecular luminescent materials in water, hydrophobic chromophores can present a number of issues that limit their performance in aqueous media. Research in this collection by Xiao et al. (https://doi.org/10.1039/D1RA06239E) describes the development of a water-phase artificial light-harvesting system that can work efficiently in water, opening up more possibilities for dynamic luminescent materials.The development of artificial supramolecular systems that can mimic the power of enzymes is an important field of development for a number of applications. In the contribution by Hu et al. (https://doi.org/10.1039/D1RA07958A), two water-soluble pillar[5]arenes with peripheral rims that contain opposite charges are prepared, and investigation of their influence on the Kemp elimination reaction of 1,2-phenylisoxazole derivatives was studied, helping to advance this area of research. Insight into reaction mechanisms using computational studies is central to advancing chemistry. Wang et al. (https://doi.org/10.1039/D1RA04564D) use multi-scale simulations to expand our understanding of P450-catalyzed C(sp³)–H amination reactions, through an optimized understanding of the P450-mediated amination of the pyrrolidine derivative of lidocaine. Globisch et al. (https://doi.org/10.1039/D1RA05994G) carry out analysis of the sulfated metabolites in various biological samples, as sulfated metabolites have been identified as being an identifier of the co-metabolism between the microbiome and its host. Through this, they are able to identify the core sulfatome of 41 metabolites. This brings us to our final contribution to this issue from Beemelmanns et al. (https://doi.org/10.1039/D1RA00997D) which highlights how using data screening methods such as Global Natural Products Social Molecular Networking Analysis (GNPS) can reveal key bioactive molecular species, in this case focused on metabolic studies of Pseudoxylaria sp. X187.We hope that you find this issue inspirational for both the breadth and high quality of chemistry described by these up-and-coming researchers, and we look forward to expanding this series in the years to come.     

Correction: Lipid-based nanoparticles for psoriasis treatment: a review on conventional treatments,recent works,and future prospects

Correction for ‘Lipid-based nanoparticles for psoriasis treatment: a review on conventional treatments, recent works, and future prospects’ by Ummu Umaimah Mohd Nordin et al., RSC Adv., 2021, 11, 29080–29101, https://doi.org/10.1039/D1RA06087B.

The authors regret that an incorrect grant number was shown in the Acknowledgements section of the published article. The corrected section should read:The authors gratefully acknowledge the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia (MOHE) for the research project financial support through the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS/1/2019/STG01/UM/02/7) and the University of Malaya. The Royal Society of Chemistry apologises for these errors and any consequent inconvenience to authors and readers.     

Retraction: Structural characterization of centipede oligopeptides and capability detection in human small cell lung carcinoma: inducing apoptosis

Retraction of ‘Structural characterization of centipede oligopeptides and capability detection in human small cell lung carcinoma: inducing apoptosis’ by JingQuan Zhao et al., RSC Adv., 2019, 9, 10927–10936, https://doi.org/10.1039/C8RA09018A.

The Royal Society of Chemistry hereby wholly retracts this RSC Advances article due to a significant amount of unattributed text overlap throughout the article, and particularly with ref. 1 in the Results and discussion section and ref. 2 in the Conclusion section.Jie Liu opposes the retraction. The other authors have been informed but have not responded to any correspondence regarding the retraction.Signed: Laura Fisher, Executive Editor, RSC AdvancesDate: 29^th March 2022     

Retraction: Structural characterization of ginseng oligopeptides and anti-aging potency evaluation in Caenorhabditis elegans

Retraction of ‘Structural characterization of ginseng oligopeptides and anti-aging potency evaluation in Caenorhabditis elegans’ by Qiang Luo et al., RSC Adv., 2020, 10, 39485–39494, https://doi.org/10.1039/D0RA06093C.

The Royal Society of Chemistry hereby wholly retracts this RSC Advances article due to a significant amount of unattributed text overlap with articles by different author groups that were not cited, including articles published in Phytochemistry by Shan Su et al.¹ and Journal of Functional Foods by Elena M. Vayndorf et al.²Zhigang Liu agrees to the retraction. The other authors have been informed but have not responded to any correspondence regarding the retraction.Signed: Laura Fisher, Executive Editor, RSC AdvancesDate: 25^th April 2022     

Retraction: In situ Raman investigation of the phase transition of NaVO2F2 under variable temperature conditions

Retraction of ‘In situ Raman investigation of the phase transition of NaVO₂F₂ under variable temperature conditions’ by Sa Zhang et al., RSC Adv., 2021, 11, 23550–23556, https://doi.org/10.1039/D1RA02827H.

We, the named authors, hereby wholly retract this RSC Advances article due to issues with the equipment used during the research and the resulting errors due to an unstable temperature control system.A Raman spectrometer was used for the testing outlined in this research, utilising coupled variable temperatures to investigate the phase transition of NaVO₂F₂. The temperature change was controlled by a THMS600 high and low-temperature sample stand. After the publication of this research, the unstable temperature was found to be caused by the system of the THMS600 sample stage, which lead to the temperature error in the analysis of phase transformation during the heating process. This has led to errors in the analysis, and therefore the conclusions of this paper are not supported. The authors also regret that the funding information was incorrectly shown in the original article.Signed: Sa Zhang, Yan Li, Liuqing Huang, Liuying Huang and Xuetao Luo, 23rd June 2022.Retraction endorsed by Laura Fisher, Executive Editor, RSC Advances.     

Retraction: Effect of temperature and large guest molecules on the C–H symmetric stretching vibrational frequencies of methane in structure H and I clathrate hydrates

Retraction of ‘Effect of temperature and large guest molecules on the C–H symmetric stretching vibrational frequencies of methane in structure H and I clathrate hydrates’ by Akihiro Hachikubo et al., RSC Adv., 2018, 8, 3237–3242, DOI: 10.1039/c7ra12334e.

We, the authors, hereby wholly retract this article due to the incorrect calibration of temperature in the Raman measurements. This incorrect calibration means that the temperature values for Raman spectroscopy shown in the article were inaccurate, and the actual temperature range was higher than the range reported in the original article.Having consulted with an independent expert, the Royal Society of Chemistry has determined that any changes made to the paper to correct this would be major, and therefore that the best course of action is retraction and republication of the article with the correct data. The Royal Society of Chemistry is happy that the overall conclusions of the paper are not affected by this error, and therefore that republication of the work with the correct data is appropriate. The republished article can be found at https://doi.org/10.1039/D0RA02748K.We, the authors, brought this matter to the attention of the Royal Society of Chemistry ourselves, and are happy with the decision to retract and republish this article.Signed: Akihiro Hachikubo (on behalf of the authors)Date: 15^th April 2020Retraction endorsed by Laura Fisher, Executive Editor, RSC Advances     

Correction: A novel G·G·T non-conventional intramolecular triplex formed by the double repeat sequence of Chlamydomonas telomeric DNA

Correction for ‘A novel G·G·T non-conventional intramolecular triplex formed by the double repeat sequence of Chlamydomonas telomeric DNA’ by Aparna Bansal et al., RSC Adv., 2022, 12, 15918–15924, https://doi.org/10.1039/D2RA00861K.

The authors regret that an incorrect version of Fig. 6 was included in the original article. The correct version of Fig. 6 is presented below.Open in a separate windowFig. 6Proposed model of the non-conventional triplex comprising G·G·T triplets formed by Chlm2.The Royal Society of Chemistry apologises for these errors and any consequent inconvenience to authors and readers.     

Correction: Electrocatalytic hydrogen generation using tripod containing pyrazolylborate-based copper(ii), nickel(ii), and iron(iii) complexes loaded on a glassy carbon electrode

Correction for ‘Electrocatalytic hydrogen generation using tripod containing pyrazolylborate-based copper(ii), nickel(ii), and iron(iii) complexes loaded on a glassy carbon electrode’ by Mohamed M. Ibrahim et al., RSC Adv., 2022, 12, 8030–8042, https://doi.org/10.1039/D1RA08530A.

The authors regret that an incorrect version of Scheme 1 was given in the original article. The corrected version is shown here.Open in a separate windowScheme 1The structures of ligand KTp^MeMe and its metal complexes MC.The Royal Society of Chemistry apologises for these errors and any consequent inconvenience to authors and readers.     

Retraction: Structural characterization of Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae) oligopeptides and the detection of their capability in non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells: induction of apoptosis

Retraction of ‘Structural characterization of Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae) oligopeptides and the detection of their capability in non-small cell lung cancer A549 cells: induction of apoptosis’ by Jiao Dong et al., RSC Adv., 2019, 9, 8300–8309, https://doi.org/10.1039/C9RA00090A.

The Royal Society of Chemistry hereby wholly retracts this RSC Advances article due to a significant amount of unattributed text overlap throughout the article, and particularly in the Results and Discussion sections, with a paper by Hongyu Li et al. in Frontiers in Pharmacology that was not cited in the article.¹Jiao Dong, Xianxin Zhang, Chunxiao Qu, Xuedong Rong and Jie Liu oppose the retraction. Yiqing Qu has been informed but has not responded to any correspondence regarding the retraction.Signed: Laura Fisher, Executive Editor, RSC AdvancesDate: 29^th March 2022