5, 10, or maybe 15? How many nanometers should nanoparticles of a catalyst be to optimize the course of the reaction? Researchers usually look for the answer by laborious, repetitive tests. At the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw, a qualitatively new technique was developed to improve the process…
A Record-Long Polymer DNA Negative
A fragment of a single strand of DNA, built of the nucleobases cytosine and guanine, can be imprinted in a polymer – this has been shown by chemists from Warsaw, Denton and Milan. The resulting artificial negative, with a record-long length, functions chemically like a normal strand of deoxyribonucleic acid. This achievement finally confirms the…
Mechanochemistry Paves the Way to Higher Quality Perovskite Photovoltaics
For several years, tension has been rising in line with the approaching commercialization of perovskite photovoltaic cells. Now, there has been another small earthquake: it turns out that devices based on these materials can convert solar energy into electricity even more efficiently. There is one condition: instead of producing perovskites by traditional solution methods, they should…
The First One Bit Chemical Memory Unit
In classical computer science information is stored in bits, in quantum computer science — in quantum bits, i.e. qubits. Experiments at the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw prove that not only physics, but also chemistry is suitable for storing information. The role of the chemical bit, the ‘chit’,…
With More Light, Chemistry Speeds Up
Prototype of a Chemical Computer Detects a Sphere
Chemical computers are becoming ever more of a reality – this is being proven by scientists from the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. It turns out that after an appropriate teaching procedure even a relatively simple chemical system can perform non-trivial operations. In their most recent computer simulations…
New Procedure Allows Hospitals to Quickly ID Deadly Bacteria
Soon, in virtually every hospital, it will be possible to identify the bacterial species responsible for an infection developing in a patient in a matter of just a few minutes. A new, easy-to-adapt and inexpensive analytical procedure has been developed by researchers from the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences in…
New Monitoring Technique Provides Information About Life of Bacteria in Microdroplets
New Polymer Detects Initial Stages of Kidney Disease
The advanced phase of acute kidney injury can be fatal in every one in two patients. Fortunately, now it will be possible to detect the disease in its initial stages, when treatment is still relatively simple and the prognosis good. The key to this health and life-saving manner of diagnosis is a new polymer, designed…
Quantum Dots with Impermeable Shell: A Powerful Tool for Nanoengineering
Unique optical features of quantum dots make them an attractive tool for many applications, from cutting-edge displays to medical imaging. Physical, chemical or biological properties of quantum dots must, however, be adapted to the desired needs. Unfortunately, up to now quantum dots prepared by chemical methods could be functionalized using copper-based click reactions with retention…