Japanese scientists have developed a technique to transform a copper-based substance into a material that mimics properties of precious and pricey metals such as gold and silver. The new medium, made of copper nanoparticles (very small copper-based structures) has promising applications in the production of electronic devices that would otherwise depend on expensive gold and…
Mirrors Control Chemical Selectivity
A chemical reaction transforms the molecules that make up matter. To influence chemical reactions, chemists typically act on the molecules themselves, rather than the space in which the reaction takes places. However, researchers at the University of Strasbourg have shown that chemical reactions can indeed be influenced simply by conducting them between two appropriately spaced…
New Approach Useful for Assembling Nanoparticles
A new “oil-and-vinegar” approach to self-assembling materials with unusual architectures comprised of spherical nanoparticles could be useful for a number of applications including optics, plasmonics, electronics and multi-stage chemical catalysis. A research team from Duke University has developed a new technique that takes advantage of the layers formed by liquids that refuse to mix together,…
Wristband Samplers Show Similar Chemical Exposure Across Three Continents
To assess differences and trends in personal chemical exposure, Oregon State University researchers deployed chemical-sampling wristbands to individuals on three continents. After they analyzed the wristbands that were returned, they found that no two wristbands had identical chemical detections. But the same 14 chemicals were detected in more than 50 percent of the wristbands returned…
Monoclonal Antibody Characterization Using Dual-Channel Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography
The volume of biopharmaceuticals reaching the clinic continues to increase, and these products now account for an estimated 40 percent of the overall pharmaceutical pipeline, according to a recent report from industry consultants BioPlan Associates. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are currently amongst the largest of the different classes of biotherapeutic products, with their success driven in…
Research Team Makes Strides Towards Synthetic Cells
The ability to develop artificial membranes that mimic complex living cells can provide insight into the building blocks of life and pave the way for scientists to someday create a slew of artificial systems, including artificial blood, immune cells and organelles, that could ultimately help treat diseases. A research team led by Neal Devaraj, PhD,…
Scientists Produce Colorless Reservoir of Platinum Metal-Like Single Atoms in Liquid
Supported single metal atoms have attracted broad interest for their demonstrated high efficiency in single metal catalysis. The preparation of such catalysts, however, remains challenging as the neutral metal atoms have a strong tendency to agglomerate to metal particles in typical preparations. Researchers at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) of the Chinese Academy…
Researchers Create Revolutionary Catalyst That Can Convert CO2 into Useable Chemicals
New Process Turns Desalination Byproduct into Beneficial Chemicals
Nitrogen Key to One-Step Chemical Synthesis Method
Researchers may have found a way to use nitrogen to boost a family of useful molecules called alpha-aminoketones. A research group from Rice University has developed a one-step technique that adds nitrogen to compounds to simplify the synthesis of valuable precursors for a number of products, including drugs, pesticides and fertilizers. Ketones, which represent important…
New Device Simplifies Measurement of Fluoride Contamination in Water
Adding fluoride to water has been common practice in a number of countries, including the US, Australia, Brazil, Malaysia, India and Vietnam. In low concentrations (below 1.5 mg/L) can help prevent tooth decay and even strengthen bones, but going above that can have the opposite effect, causing serious dental and bone disease, especially in children…
Chemical Conversion Process Could Turn the Ocean’s Plastic Waste Into Clean Fuels
One research team is trying to tackle the growing problem of plastic waste ending up in the ocean. Purdue University researchers have created a new chemical conversion technique that could turn 90 percent of polyolefin waste, a common form of plastic, into more beneficial products like clean fuels, pure polymers, naphtha and monomers. “Our strategy…
Researchers Discover More Sustainable Chemical Manufacturing Technique
Researchers from RMIT University in Australia have found a new technique to harness sunlight and drive chemical reactions, which could yield more sustainable chemical manufacturing processes. The new method involves using nano-enhanced palladium to capture approximately 99 percent of light and convert it to power chemical reactions, reducing both the energy required and the environmental…
R&D Efforts to Make Plastic More Sustainable
A few large facilities make plastic, dispersed through converters and suppliers, which ultimately ends up in the hands of consumers. Tens of production sites feed hundreds of converters supplying thousands of stores shopped by millions of consumers. Virtually everyone in a modern society touches plastic almost every minute of every day. We now recognize that…
Using Body Heat to Power Wearable Tech
Many wearable biosensors, data transmitters and similar tech advances for personalized health monitoring have now been “creatively miniaturized,” says materials chemist Trisha Andrew at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, but they require a lot of energy, and power sources can be bulky and heavy. Now she and her Ph.D. student Linden Allison report that they…
Researchers Move Particles Through Fluid Using Ultraviolet Light
2D Magnetism Reaches a New Milestone
Researchers at the Center for Correlated Electron Systems, within the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) in South Korea, in collaboration with Sogang University and Seoul National University, reported the first experimental observation of a XY-type antiferromagnetic material, whose magnetic order becomes unstable when it is reduced to one-atom thickness. Published in Nature Communications, these findings…
Nanoparticle Catalyst Efficiently Converts Methane to Formaldehyde
A new high performance catalyst could help more efficiently convert methane to formaldehyde, a beneficial resource used as a raw material for bactericides, preservatives and functional polymers. Researchers from the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) have developed a methane oxidase catalyst that consists of nanomaterials that enable a stable structure and high…
Chemists Gain New Insight into Harnessing Hydrogen from Water
Green Catalysts with Earth-Abundant Metals Accelerate Production of Bio-Based Plastic
Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) have developed and analyzed a novel catalyst for the oxidation of 5-hydroxymethyl furfural, which is crucial for generating new raw materials that replace the classic non-renewable ones used for making many plastics. It should be no surprise to most readers that finding an alternative to non-renewable natural…
Laser Diode Combats Counterfeit Oil
Researchers at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) and the Scintillon Institute in the USA have designed a sensor that can detect counterfeit olive oil labelled as extra virgin or protected designation of origin. The tool, a report on which has been published in Talanta, can distinguish between apparently similar oils that present notable differences…
Data Storage Using Individual Molecules
Researchers from the University of Basel have reported a new method that allows the physical state of just a few atoms or molecules within a network to be controlled. It is based on the spontaneous self-organization of molecules into extensive networks with pores about one nanometer in size. In the journal Small, the physicists reported…
Researchers Pioneer Machine Learning to Speed Chemical Discoveries, Reduce Waste
Machine learning algorithms can predict stock market fluctuations, control complex manufacturing processes, enable navigation for robots and driverless vehicles, and much more. Now, researchers at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering are tapping a new set of capabilities in this field of artificial intelligence, combining artificial neural networks with infrared thermal imaging to control and…
