Profile of Daniel G. Nocera

A mild H3BO3 environment for water splitting

“…Boric acid is the only weak acid solution i n t e r n a t i o n a l j o u r n a l o f h y d r o g e n e n e r g y 3 8 ( 2 0 1 3 ) 1 0 1 9 1 e1 0 1 9 5 besides hydrofluoric acid (pH ¼ 3.5) that has now been used to synthesize a self-healing oxygen-evolution catalyst. These results prompt further exploration of the catalytic mechanism, which is not currently clear [17]. More importantly, the boric acid solution contributes far less to corrosion and is closer to a neutral solution than is hydrofluoric acid.…”

Extraordinary fossils reveal the nature of Cambrian life: a commentary on Whittington (1975) ‘The enigmatic animalOpabinia regalis, Middle Cambrian, Burgess Shale, British Columbia’

“…Molecular phylogenies combined with fossil data provide a new measure of rates and steps in the evolution of clades. And relating fossil morphologies to studies of evolutionary development and how it is controlled genetically [55] will reveal mechanisms for the rapid morphological change that characterizes the Cambrian. One day, we will have a much more complete understanding of the evolutionary processes that link Opabinia with lobopods like Hallucigenia , anomalocaridids and the arthropods of today.…”

Structural colour from helicoidal cell-wall architecture in fruits ofMargaritaria nobilis

“…This apparently complex cell-wall structure occurs in tissues that include thick-walled cells [6], including epidermis, sclerenchyma and xylem and in many different plant organs, including leaves, stems and fruits [1,7–11]. For example, structural colour obtained from helicoidal architecture has been reported in leaves of plants from a range of different habitats [12–15].…”

“…However, with a few exceptions (e.g. hazelnut [16], Pollia [11,17]), this structure has rarely been studied in fruits and seeds, which often possess thick-walled tissues that are resistant to desiccation. Most fruit colour is produced by pigmentation [18], but a few plant species produce highly metallic and intensely coloured fruits by means of a nanostructured multi-layered cell wall, including the commelinid monocot Pollia condensata [11,17] and the rosid eudicot Margaritaria nobilis [19,20].…”