New Journal of Chemistry

Communications

NJC Communications are concise articles that report results of immediate interest to the chemistry community; they may be complete publications, though a subsequent paper may be justified. Communications should be between 1500 and 2500 words (about four typeset pages) and may include one table and/or up to four figures. Additional tables and figures may be included in the article’s Electronic Supplementary Information (ESI). The use of the RSC Communications template for preparing your article is encouraged.

Note: Prior to 2021 (up to Volume 44) these articles are named Letter. For more information on this, see here.

Full papers

Full papers contain original and significant work that is likely to be of wide general appeal or exceptional interest in its specialised area. However, work that builds upon research that has been previously published in a short form such as a NJC Communication or in ChemComm is normally acceptable, provided that it represents a substantial amplification and extension of the original material.

Perspectives

Perspectives are brief reviews giving the personal viewpoint of a leading scientist in their area of research, setting it in the context of the work of others and looking forward to future developments.

In some cases, pairs of collaborating scientists from different disciplines are invited to each give their perspective on their common field of research in order to demonstrate the benefits of collaborative research and facilitate dialogue between communities.

The submission of Perspectives is by invitation only. If you are interested in submitting a Perspective, please send a proposal containing a brief synopsis and biography of the author to the editorial office.

Comments

Comments and Replies are a medium for the discussion and exchange of scientific opinions between authors and readers concerning material published in the New Journal of Chemistry.

For publication, a Comment should present an alternative analysis of and/or new insight into the previously published material. Any Reply should further the discussion presented in the original article and the Comment. Comments and Replies that contain any form of personal attack are not suitable for publication.

Comments that are acceptable for publication will be forwarded to the authors of the work being discussed, and these authors will be given the opportunity to submit a Reply. The Comment and Reply will both be subject to rigorous peer review in consultation with the journal's Editorial Board where appropriate. The Comment and Reply will be published together.

Subject-Specific Guidelines for Studies on Fluorescent Sensors

Studies on fluorescent sensor systems should include titrations covering a full range of analyte concentration, from the absence of analyte to a stoichiometric excess, taking the following factors into account:

• If the analyte shows significant absorption at the excitation or emission frequencies corrections should be carried out for Inner Filter Effects (IFEs). (note: fluorescent probes where the response mechanism is based on the Inner Filter Effect are not suitable for publication in NJC).
• A plateau should be observed at high analyte concentrations for the intensity vs. concentration plot when the sensing mechanism is based on association.
• Calculated Limits of Detection (LoD) should be supported by experimental data at similar concentrations.
• The intensity vs. concentration relationship should be fitted using suitable software. The Benesi-Hildebrand linearization method for the determination of the association constant should not be used without extensive consideration of the limitations that arise from the method’s assumptions (see 10.1039/C0CS00062K for further details.)

Plots reporting the Stern-Volmer relationship (I°/I vs. concentration; the same should be valid for its reciprocal I/I°) should show an intercept of 1. Significant variation from this is not acceptable. The Stern-Volmer relationship should be justified by reference to an appropriate quenching mechanism, e.g. dynamic quenching should show a linear relationship, while static quenching can present an upward curvature for relatively high association constants (see 10.1039/D1CS00422K for further discussion).

The performance of all sensor systems should be compared to the current state-of-the-art sensors for the same analyte, with any differences in requirements (e.g. solvent system) clearly stated; a suitable (and justified) set of interferences should also be tested and discussed.