The filters used in gas masks, which give protection against toxic industrial chemicals, are often large and cumbersome, being made from activated carbon that is impregnated with metal salts. In a search for alternatives, SonBinh Nguyen  and colleagues at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, have joined forces with scientists at the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, Maryland, to investigate a series of porous organic polymers (POPs) bearing metal-catecholate groups. By changing the molecular components used in their synthesis, the materials have been tailored to hydrogen bond to, and consequently eliminate, specific toxic industrial chemicals, like ammonia.

'Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have the same customisable characteristics as POPs, and have been investigated for their ability to remove toxic chemicals,' says Nguyen. 'Yet many of the MOFs known today are not very stable, owing to the prevalence of metal-oxygen bonds, and will degrade in the presence of atmospheric moisture. POPs, on the other hand, contain carbon-carbon bonds, which are less susceptible to moisture attack,' he explains.

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Benxia Li and colleagues explain the need for better materials that can store and release heat. These so-called "phase-change" materials" (PCMs) are essential, for instance, for storing heat from the sun for use in providing energy at night or during cloudy periods. PCMs absorb, store and release heat when changing "phases" from a solid to a liquid and vice versa. They have applications that range from expanding use of solar energy to heat-regulating greenhouses to clothing that keeps soldiers or campers warm on cold nights outdoors. Existing PCMs have disadvantages, such as the tendency to leak or catch fire, and Li's team set out to find a better material.