The most recent Essential Science Indicator (ESI) 'fast moving front' in materials science is a Feature Article published by Journal of Materials Chemistry in 2006.

The article is by Advisory Board member X. S. Zhao and colleagues from the National University of Singapore and features recent research progress towards various templating methods for preparing porous structures. In the paper they use their own research results to briefly summarise how templating strategies can be used to prepare porous architectures with specific requirements. There are many new technological applications for these materials, such as environmentally friendly technology, nanotechnology, tissue engineering and photonics.

The paper was part of a theme issue on novel porous materials for emerging applications.

Zhao told ESI 'I strongly believe that future technologies will need more and more porous materials. I consider myself lucky to be at work in this particular area.'

To celebrate this announcement, the paper will be available free of charge until the end of August. Click on the link below to read the Feature Article.

This follows on from Journal of Materials Chemistry's two ESI recognised fast breaking papers in 2006, one on ceria- and zirconia-based mixed oxides by Roberta Di Monte and Jan Kaspar from the University of Trieste, Italy, and another Feature Article by Etienne Dugent and co-workers about magnetic nanoparticle design for medical diagnosis and therapy.

More information on the paper and an interview with the authors can be read on ESI's website. 

Essential Science Indicators from Thomson Scientific contains data on research fronts which are updated every two months. As part of this bimonthly processing, they identify the research fronts that are growing most rapidly in each of the 22 major fields covered by Essential Science Indicators. Fast moving fronts are those having the largest percentage increase in number of core papers from one period to the next in their respective fields.