The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) declared 2019 the International Year of the Periodic Table (IYPT), and ACS is proud to take part with a variety of ACS-wide IYPT activities.

2019 marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of Dmitry Mendeleev’s Periodic Table of the Elements, a discovery that has been pivotal to the advancement of chemistry and related sciences. The Periodic Table has also had immeasurable societal impact, and this year of celebration allows us to reflect on chemistry’s role in promoting sustainable human development moving forward. ACS Publications is pleased to launch a Virtual Issue series highlighting elements that have been important to researchers in each of five subdisciplines of chemistry; the series kicks off below with Analytical & Applied Chemistry. Virtual Issues for Biological Chemistry, Materials Science & Engineering, Multidisciplinary & Organic/Inorganic, and Physical Chemistry will follow during 2019. Each featured article from an ACS journal describes one or more elements whose unique chemical and physical properties impart the potential to develop compounds, materials, and techniques that may shape modern chemistry and lead to impactful new advancements.

In this first of five Virtual Issues in the series, we explore articles from the diverse fields of analytical and applied chemistry, as a collaboration between Analytical Chemistry, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, ACS Sensors, Chemical Research in Toxicology, Energy & Fuels, Environmental Science & Technology, Environmental Science & Technology Letters, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, and Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Jonathon V. Sweedler, Editor-in-Chief of Analytical Chemistry, writes about the importance of the periodic table in his recent Editorial.

The articles in this Virtual Issue includes examples of elements that have been important in analytical chemistry. Beginning with hydrogen, reported in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, Junchao Qian and colleagues developed an environmentally responsible method for photocatalytic dihydrogen production using three-dimensional porous CeO2 quantum dot-carbon-based catalysts. Sustainable processes for dihydrogen production are of the utmost importance for future low-carbon footprint energy production, storage and transmission.

The transition metals are key analytes for detection of contamination in food and water sources. In Environmental Science & Technology Letters, Avner Vengosh and co-workers investigate the origins of hexavalent chromium in drinking water wells fed by the Piedmont aquifers of North Carolina.

Conversely, transition metal catalysts can prove useful in wine production. Specifically, Cu(II) fining is used to remove sulfuric off-odors in wine whose origin is in the presence of trace hydrogen sulfide and low-molecular weight thiols. In Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Ryan J. Elias and colleagues shed light on this reaction mechanism in the aim to optimize wine production processes.

Enjoy these 29 articles exploring analytical and applied chemistry across the Periodic Table. Check ACS Axial throughout the year for more Virtual Issues exploring the Periodic Table.

For more on ACS Journals and IYPT watch the videos in which ACS Editors share their thoughts on the significance of the International Year of the Periodic Table and their favorite elements, as well as the most significant element of the next 150 years.

Editorial

The Periodic Table of Elements at 150
Anal. Chem., 2019, 91 (9), pp 5469–5469
DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b01714

Articles

Hydrogen

Enhanced Photocatalytic H2 Production on Three-Dimensional Porous CeO2/Carbon Nanostructure
ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng., 2018, 6 (8), pp 9691–9698
DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.8b00596

Lithium

A Critical Review and Analysis on the Recycling of Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries
ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng., 2018, 6 (2), pp 1504–1521
DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.7b03811

Carbon

Accurate Determination of Catalyst Loading on Glassy Carbon Disk and Its Impact on Thin Film Rotating Disk Electrode for Oxygen Reduction Reaction
Anal. Chem., 2018, 90 (24), pp 14181–14187
DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b02697

Nitrogen

Helium Recovery through Inorganic Membranes Incorporated with a Nitrogen Rejection Unit
Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2018, 57 (10), pp 3792–3799
DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.8b00314

Oxygen

Functionalized Quartz Nanopipette for Intracellular Superoxide Sensing: A Tool for Monitoring Reactive Oxygen Species Levels in Single Living Cell
ACS Sens., 2018, 3 (7), pp 1316–1321
DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.8b00185

Sodium

Transformation Characteristics of Sodium of Zhundong Coal Combustion/Gasification in Circulating Fluidized Bed
Energy Fuels, 2016, 30 (4), pp 3473–3478
DOI: 10.1021/acs.energyfuels.6b00028

Magnesium

Magnesium Fertilizer-Induced Increase of Symbiotic Microorganisms Improves Forage Growth and Quality
J. Agric. Food Chem., 2017, 65 (16), pp 3253–3258
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.6b05764

Silicon

Ultrasensitive Label- and PCR-Free Genome Detection Based on Cooperative Hybridization of Silicon Nanowires Optical Biosensors
ACS Sens., 2018, 3 (9), pp 1690–1697
DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.8b00422

Phosphorous

Enhanced Phosphate Removal by Nanosized Hydrated La(III) Oxide Confined in Cross-linked Polystyrene Networks
Environ. Sci. Technol., 2016, 50 (3), pp 1447–1454
DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b04630

Potassium

Biomass-Derived Activated Porous Carbon from Rice Straw for a High-Energy Symmetric Supercapacitor in Aqueous and Non-aqueous Electrolytes
Energy Fuels, 2017, 31 (1), pp 977–985
DOI: 10.1021/acs.energyfuels.6b01829

Calcium

Calcium Binding to Amino Acids and Small Glycine Peptides in Aqueous Solution: Toward Peptide Design for Better Calcium Bioavailability
J. Agric. Food Chem., 2016, 64 (21), pp 4376–4389
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.6b01534

Titanium

Association of Type 2 Diabetes with Submicron Titanium Dioxide Crystals in the Pancreas
Chem. Res. Toxicol., 2018, 31 (6), pp 506–509
DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.8b00047

Chromium

Origin of Hexavalent Chromium in Drinking Water Wells from the Piedmont Aquifers of North Carolina
Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett., 2016, 3 (12), pp 409–414
DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.6b00342

Manganese

Chemical-Looping Combustion of Solid Fuels Using Manganese Ores as Oxygen Carriers
Energy Fuels, 2016, 30 (2), pp 1204–1216
DOI: 10.1021/acs.energyfuels.5b02440

Iron

Enhanced Adsorption of 2,4-Dichlorophenol by Nanoscale Zero-Valent Iron Loaded on Bentonite and Modified with a Cationic Surfactant
Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2017, 56 (1), pp 191–197
DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.6b03864

Nickel

Techno-economic Analysis of Metal–Organic Frameworks for Hydrogen and Natural Gas Storage
Energy Fuels, 2017, 31 (2), pp 2024–2032
DOI: 10.1021/acs.energyfuels.6b02510

Copper

Reaction Mechanisms of Metals with Hydrogen Sulfide and Thiols in Model Wine. Part 1: Copper-Catalyzed Oxidation
J. Agric. Food Chem., 2016, 64 (20), pp 4095–4104
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.6b00641

Zinc

Zinc Battery Driven by an Electro-Organic Reactor Cathode
ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng., 2018, 6 (11), pp 15007–15014
DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.8b03486

Arsenic

Sex-Specific Effects of Arsenic Exposure on the Trajectory and Function of the Gut Microbiome
Chem. Res. Toxicol., 2016, 29 (6), pp 949–951
DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.6b00066

Strontium

Quantification of Element Fluxes in Wastewaters: A Nationwide Survey in Switzerland
Environ. Sci. Technol., 2017, 51 (19), pp 10943–10953
DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b01731

Molybdenum

New Conduct in the Adsorptive Removal of Sulfur Compounds by New Nickel–Molybdenum Adsorbent
Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2018, 57 (2), pp 425–433
DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.7b03539

Silver

Silver Ions Detection via Nucleolipids Self-Assembly
Anal. Chem., 2019, 91 (3), pp 1692–1695
DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b04066

Cadmium

Silencing KRAS Overexpression in Cadmium-Transformed Prostate Epithelial Cells Mitigates Malignant Phenotype
Chem. Res. Toxicol., 2016, 29 (9), pp 1458–1467
DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrestox.6b00137

Platinum

Pt-Functionalized PdO Nanowires for Room Temperature Hydrogen Gas Sensors
ACS Sens., 2018, 3 (10), pp 2152–2158
DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.8b00714

Gold

Strategy for In Situ Imaging of Cellular Alkaline Phosphatase Activity Using Gold Nanoflower Probe and Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance Technique
Anal. Chem., 2018, 90 (23), pp 14056–14062
DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b04179

Mercury

Identification of Mercury and Dissolved Organic Matter Complexes Using Ultrahigh Resolution Mass Spectrometry
Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett., 2017, 4 (2), pp 59–65
DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.6b00460

Lead

Flint Water Crisis Caused By Interrupted Corrosion Control: Investigating “Ground Zero” Home
Environ. Sci. Technol., 2017, 51 (4), pp 2007–2014
DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b04034

Uranium

Uranium(V) Incorporation Mechanisms and Stability in Fe(II)/Fe(III) (oxyhydr)Oxides
Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett., 2017, 4 (10), pp 421–426
DOI: 10.1021/acs.estlett.7b00348