Carbon is ubiquitous in electrochemical research and has played an important role in the development of the discipline. Carbon paste and glassy carbon electrodes have been indispensable in electroanalysis as cheap alternatives to noble metals. The development of the carbon fibre microelectrode revolutionised the use of electrochemical measurements in investigating biological function. In recent years the use of carbon in more novel forms (e.g. carbon nanotubes, graphene) has impacted on all areas of fundamental and applied electrochemistry and this is likely to continue into the future....

Nanotechnology, especially nanoparticle research, has played very important roles in many scientific discoveries, laying the foundation for their applications in many aspects of our life, such as healthcare, efficient energy and cleaner environments. The field is moving very quickly, with an increasing number of researchers. This Faraday Discussion focusses on one very fundamental issue of nanoparticle (NP) research: functionalization, relating specifically to biomedical applications. Without the right functionalisation, NPs will be rendered useless. So, how can NPs be synthesised with the...

Mechanochemical reactions utilise mechanical force to achieve chemical transformation. Because they can be both solvent-free and less energy consuming than standard solution reactions, mechanochemical transformations are rapidly becoming popular as a sustainable alternative to conventional solution-based and solvothermal chemical processes which are inherently wasteful of solvent and energy in both the laboratory and industry.

The growing interest in mechanochemical processes has in the past decade provided exciting developments in the areas of supramolecular, pharmaceutical,...