https://phys.org/chemistry-news/ en-us The latest news stories on chemistry, biochemistry, polymers, materials science from Phys.org Collaborative research that combined experiments at Yale University and molecular dynamics simulations at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory provides new insights into solving a major technical obstacle to efficient and sustainable industrial operations. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-scientists-reveal-molecular-mysteries-silica.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Wed, 06 Mar 2024 12:28:36 EST news628950514 A team of chemists led by Prof. Albert Heck puts a new spin on analyzing and understanding molecules. By ingeniously improving current measuring equipment, the team was able to trap and observe individual molecules for a much longer period—up to 25 seconds. This extended observation time enabled them to see the finer details of molecules, enhancing their understanding. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-chemists-barriers-super-resolution-molecule.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 06 Mar 2024 12:20:03 EST news628950001 Scientists led by an Oregon State University chemistry researcher are closing in on a new tool for tackling the global problem of weedkiller-tainted groundwater. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-metal-framework-key-advance-pesticide.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Wed, 06 Mar 2024 10:59:03 EST news628945141 National University of Singapore (NUS) chemists have solved a longstanding challenge in the synthesis of congested C(sp3)-rich molecules by developing a new iron-catalyzed reaction that generates two alkyl-alkyl bonds in crowded environments. The work is published in Nature Catalysis. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-earth-abundant-iron-catalysis-enables.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Wed, 06 Mar 2024 10:12:39 EST news628942356 Porous solids are abundant in the world. Examples include activated carbon, zeolite, and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). Solid electrolytes in next-generation batteries have ion migration channels and hence are porous solids in a broad sense. Because the properties of porous solids are dictated by pore size, the way the pores are connected internally, and the chemical nature of the pore walls, achieving high degrees of freedom in designing these properties is crucial. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-3d-covalent-frameworks-tuned-isomers.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Wed, 06 Mar 2024 10:08:09 EST news628942087 A living organism's nose is essentially a biological molecule detector that sends neurological signals to the brain, which then decodes a particular scent. Human noses, with six million olfactory receptors, can distinguish more than one trillion scents, while some canine noses possess up to 300 million receptors, which provide enhanced sensitivity in parts per trillion. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-team-small-scale-chemical-nose.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Tue, 05 Mar 2024 15:16:03 EST news628874161 Boston College researchers used a mild charge of electricity to precisely modify proteins, a new tool that can be used to develop novel biotherapeutics and protein-based research tools, the team reported recently in the journal Nature Chemistry. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-electrocatalysis-site-specific-protein-modification.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Tue, 05 Mar 2024 13:16:03 EST news628866961 Chemical reactions are usually accompanied by thermal effects, inevitably resulting in temperature changes in the reaction system. Therefore, temperature is an important parameter in reactions, which can affect chemical thermodynamics and reaction kinetics. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-technique-temperature-catalyst-particle.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Tue, 05 Mar 2024 10:20:03 EST news628856402 The urgent need for advanced detection of chemical warfare agents (CWAs) to ensure global security has led to the development of a novel gas sensor. This sensor is distinguished by its rapid response, high sensitivity, and compact size, crucial for the early detection of CWAs. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-team-wireless-sensor-chemical-warfare.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 05 Mar 2024 10:08:41 EST news628855719 A pair of chemists at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, has observed communication between rotors in a molecular motor. In their study, reported in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Carlijn van Beek and Ben Feringa conducted experiments with alkene-based molecular motors. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-communication-rotors-molecular-motor.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Tue, 05 Mar 2024 10:00:01 EST news628854604 Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have found that spiders have a special trick to make their silk strong, by using a natural biocompatible molecular enhancer. By using the same secret the researchers are able to create biomimetic spider-silk fibers in a non-toxic way. The study is published in Advanced Functional Materials. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-ways-biomimetic-spider-silk.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Mon, 04 Mar 2024 14:45:22 EST news628785921 Millions of people around the world drink coffee every day. The beverage contains a large number of bioactive substances, and its health effects on the human metabolism are therefore frequently subjects of scientific studies. In many of these studies, however, the data on coffee consumption is largely based on self-reporting by the participants and is therefore not always accurate. This can affect the scientific validity of nutritional studies. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-uncover-feasible-biomarker-coffee-consumption.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Mon, 04 Mar 2024 14:45:19 EST news628785914 Paclitaxel is the world's best-selling plant-based anticancer drug and one of the most effective anticancer drugs over the past 30 years. It is widely used in the treatment of various types of cancer, including breast cancer, lung cancer, and ovarian cancer. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-advance-taxol-biosynthesis-large-scale.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Mon, 04 Mar 2024 11:51:41 EST news628775497 A team of biochemists at the University of Minnesota has discovered which two bacterial genes are responsible for producing proteins capable of breaking down metformin in sewer water. In their study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group isolated genes likely to be involved in creating the target proteins. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-bacterial-genes-responsible-metformin-sewer.html Biochemistry Mon, 04 Mar 2024 11:49:48 EST news628775381 In collaboration with researchers in the United States, China, and the Netherlands, Davidson School of Chemical Engineering's Dr. Zhenhua Zeng and Professor Jeffrey Greeley, have advanced catalysis research and catalyst design through their exploration of active sites. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-paradigm-shift-catalyst-site-categorization.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Mon, 04 Mar 2024 11:22:03 EST news628773721 Until recently, chalcopyrite-based solar cells have achieved a maximum energy conversion efficiency of 23.35%, as reported in 2019 by Solar Frontier, a former Solar Energy company based in Japan. Further boosting this efficiency, however, has so far proved challenging. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-strategy-boost-efficiency-copper-indium.html Materials Science Sat, 02 Mar 2024 08:30:01 EST news628503723 A chemical etching method for widening the pores of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) could improve various applications of MOFs, including in fuel cells and as catalysts. Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan and East China Normal University in China developed the new method with collaborators elsewhere in Japan, Australia, and China, and their work was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-chemical-etching-method-pores-fuel.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Fri, 01 Mar 2024 11:10:01 EST news628512863 A collaboration between research groups from ICIQ demonstrate how the presence of an external magnetic field alters the reaction mechanism of the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-effect-magnetic-fields-electrocatalytic.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Fri, 01 Mar 2024 10:54:38 EST news628512876 Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the phenomenon of photosynthesis can enable significant progress in the fields of biotechnology and renewable energy. Photosystem II (PSII), a protein complex, plays a central role in this process by catalyzing the oxidation of water and producing dioxygen using sunlight, a fundamental step in oxygenic photosynthesis. Despite extensive research, the structural dynamics of PSII during the water-splitting reaction, especially at the atomic level and on short timescales, remain largely unexplored. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-unraveling-dynamics-photosystem-ii-femtosecond.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Fri, 01 Mar 2024 08:21:37 EST news628503694 A NIMS research team has developed an AI technique capable of expediting the identification of materials with desirable characteristics. Using this technique, the team was able to discover high-performance water electrolyzer electrode materials free of platinum-group elements—substances previously thought to be indispensable in water electrolysis. These materials may be used to reduce the cost of large-scale production of green hydrogen—a next-generation energy source. The research was published in ACS Central Science. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-ai-technique-green-hydrogen-production.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Fri, 01 Mar 2024 07:51:03 EST news628501862 Recycling facilities collect glass and mercury from thrown-away fluorescent bulbs, but discarded lighting could also supply rare-earth metals for reuse. The 17 metals referred to as rare earths aren't all widely available and aren't easily extracted with existing recycling methods. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-bright-idea-recycling-rare-earth.html Materials Science Thu, 29 Feb 2024 15:06:03 EST news628441561 Glass fiber-reinforced plastic (GFRP), a strong and durable composite material, is widely used in everything from aircraft parts to windmill blades. Yet the very qualities that make it robust enough to be used in so many different applications make it difficult to dispose of—consequently, most GFRP waste is buried in a landfill once it reaches its end of life. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-recycling-glass-fiber-plastic-silicon.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Thu, 29 Feb 2024 12:45:04 EST news628433102 An online platform powered by deep learning can predict the makeup of new psychoactive substances to help law enforcement in the fight against dangerous drugs. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-ai-powered-platform-law-drugs.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 29 Feb 2024 12:36:08 EST news628432565 Roughly 4 billion years ago, Earth was developing conditions suitable for life. Origin-of-life scientists often wonder if the type of chemistry found on the early Earth was similar to what life requires today. They know that spherical collections of fats, called protocells, were the precursor to cells during this emergence of life. But how did simple protocells first arise and diversify to eventually lead to life on Earth? https://phys.org/news/2024-02-scientists-reveal-cells-earth.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Thu, 29 Feb 2024 11:00:01 EST news628421464 In a recent publication in the journal Trends in Chemistry, researchers from the University of Twente delve into the potential of 3D printing ceramics in micro-optics. These tiny ceramic structures can potentially be used to generate light and store information. "Let's make ceramics so small they can manipulate light." https://phys.org/news/2024-02-future-tailoring-chemistry-inorganic-3d.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Thu, 29 Feb 2024 10:07:31 EST news628423648 The synthesis of carbon-based chemicals via the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) has become the key objective of numerous recent energy research efforts. While these studies have yielded promising results, enabling the production of various widely used chemicals, most proposed approaches exhibit poor energy efficiencies and selectivity. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-energy-efficient-synthesis-ethylene-carbon.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Thu, 29 Feb 2024 07:10:02 EST news628344244 Molecules often have a structural asymmetry called chirality, which means they can appear in alternative, mirror-image versions akin to the left and right versions of human hands. One of the great mysteries about the origins of life on Earth is that virtually all of the fundamental molecules of biology, such as the building blocks of proteins and DNA, appear in just one chiral form. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-molecular-handedness-emerged-early-biology.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Wed, 28 Feb 2024 11:52:19 EST news628343534 Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a microporous covalent organic framework with dense donor–acceptor lattices and engineered linkages for the efficient and clean production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) through the photosynthesis process with water and air. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-method-photosynthesize-hydrogen-peroxide-air.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Wed, 28 Feb 2024 10:10:05 EST news628337401 Single-atom catalysts (SACs), due to their excellent catalytic activity, have been a hot topic in the field of energy catalysis. In SACs, the metal atoms are able to directly interact with the supports, thus maximizing the metal-support interface. The metal-support interactions (MSIs) largely affect the electronic properties of single-atom catalysts and catalytic performance. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-scientists-atom-catalysts-efficient-electrooxidation.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Wed, 28 Feb 2024 07:50:02 EST news628329001 Molecules that are induced by light to rotate bulky groups around central bonds could be developed into photo-activated bioactive systems, molecular switches, and more. https://phys.org/news/2024-02-synthetic-chemistry.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Wed, 28 Feb 2024 05:00:01 EST news628256273