London, 28 March 2011

The recently discovered magnetic properties of gold nanoparticles are the subject of the lead article in the new issue of the journal, Gold Bulletin.

The paper, “Unexpected magnetism in gold nanostructures: Making gold even more attractive,” by Professor Simon Trudel, University of Calgary, explains the cause of the unexpected magnetism in gold and explores how these properties could lead to potential applications in catalysis, medicine and data storage.

Professor Trudel observed: “The possibility of chemically turning on magnetism in gold nanostructures is a unique feature. One can envisage how gold based sensors could be designed whereby detection of a substance could lead to the onset of magnetism. Such sensors might be used in medical testing for example.”

Published for over 40 years, Gold Bulletin is the international journal covering the latest science, technology and applications of gold. The new issue features papers on gold nanotechnology, catalysis, chemistry and materials science.

Dr Richard Holliday, Director, Technology at the World Gold Council and editor of Gold Bulletin commented: “Whilst gold has a long and fascinating history in technology, new research continues to open up exciting and innovative applications for the metal. This new paper describing gold’s unexpected magnetism demonstrates Gold Bulletin’s continued role in highlighting cutting-edge developments.”

Each issue of Gold Bulletin includes a broad spread of high quality research papers and timely reviews of a particular aspect of gold. There is also a regular ‘Highlights’ section, providing insights on key gold-related publications from other leading research journals, as well as important gold-related patents that have been recently published.

As part of a recent agreement, Gold Bulletin will now be published by Springer, a leading global scientific publisher of books and journals, while the World Gold Council will sponsor and edit it. This will result in the journal benefiting from Springer’s wider distribution channels, as unlike many subscription-based journals, continued free access to the publication will ensure the widest possible readership.

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To view the journal:  www.springer.com/materials/special+types/journal/13404

To download the article: www.springerlink.com/content/v4qn44x550125588/