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Chemistry - Innovation - 03.10.2023

Researchers shed new light on catalyst behaviour
Advancing Catalyst Research: Unveiling Mechanisms through Operando Spectroscopy Catalysts play a pivotal role in facilitating chemical reactions that underlie essential industrial processes, from refining fuels to manufacturing pharmaceuticals.

Environment - Chemistry - 22.09.2023

Waterfleas hold key to cleaner environment and better human health
A novel way of removing chemical pollutants from wastewater could see the humble waterflea helping to create cleaner rivers and waterways. Tiny waterfleas could play a pivotal role in removing persistent chemical pollutants from wastewater - making it safe to use in factories, farms and homes, a new study reveals.

Chemistry - Innovation - 22.09.2023

Scientists make methanol at room temperature
A more sustainable method of creating methanol - a key component of fuels, plastics, and medicines - has been developed by Cardiff scientists and an international team of collaborators. The process, which uses a highly active catalyst, converts oxygen and the natural gas methane into methanol at room temperature without the need for external energy sources such as light or electricity.

Chemistry - Innovation - 21.09.2023

New method for purifying drinking water could be used in disaster zones
Scientists at Bath have developed a new desalination method that pumps water through a membrane without using any external pressure. Published on Thursday 21 September 2023 Last updated on Thursday 21 September 2023 Scientists have developed a new method that converts seawater into drinking water that could be useful in disaster zones where there is limited electrical power.

Chemistry - Physics - 19.09.2023

Cheap and efficient catalyst could boost renewable energy storage
Storing renewable energy as hydrogen could soon become much easier thanks to a new catalyst based on single atoms of platinum. The new catalyst, designed by researchers at City University Hong Kong (CityU) and tested by colleagues at Imperial College London, could be cheaply scaled up for mass use. The new electrocatalyst could be a major contributor to ultimately helping the UK meet its net-zero goals by 2050.

Materials Science - Chemistry - 19.09.2023

One-atom-thick ribbons could improve batteries, solar cells and sensors
Researchers at UCL have created one-atom-thick ribbons made of phosphorus alloyed with arsenic that could dramatically improve the efficiency of devices such as batteries, supercapacitors and solar cells. The research team discovered phosphorus nanoribbons in 2019. The "wonder material", predicted to revolutionise devices ranging from batteries to biomedical sensors, has since been used to increase lithium-ion battery lifetimes and solar cell efficiencies.

Chemistry - Physics - 18.09.2023

Liverpool chemists solve long-standing polymer science puzzle
New research by the University of Liverpool's Chemistry Department represents an important breakthrough in the field of polymer science. In a paper published in the journal Nature Chemistry, and featuring on the front cover, Liverpool researchers use mechanochemistry to characterise how a polymer chain in solution responds to a sudden acceleration of the solvent flow around it.

Physics - Chemistry - 31.08.2023

Peering into nanofluidic mysteries one photon at a time
Researchers at University of Manchester and the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland, have revealed an innovative approach to track individual molecule dynamics within nanofluidic structures, illuminating their response to molecules in ways never before possible. Nanofluidics, the study of fluids confined within ultra-small spaces, offers insights into the behaviour of liquids on a nanometer scale.

Physics - Chemistry - 24.08.2023

Making the invisible, visible: New method makes mid-infrared light detectable at room temperature
Quantum-derived findings could make mid-infrared light sensing much easier at room temperatures. Scientists from the University of Birmingham and the University of Cambridge have developed a new method for detecting mid-infrared (MIR) light at room temperature using quantum systems. The research, published today (28th August) in Nature Photonics, was conducted at the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge and marks a significant breakthrough in the ability for scientists to gain insight into the working of chemical and biological molecules.

Physics - Chemistry - 23.08.2023

Graphene discovery could help generate cheaper and more sustainable hydrogen
Researchers from The University of Manchester and the University of Warwick finally solved the long-standing puzzle of why graphene is so much more permeable to protons than expected by theory. A decade ago, scientists at The University of Manchester demonstrated that graphene is permeable to protons, nuclei of hydrogen atoms.

Physics - Chemistry - 16.08.2023

Switching ’spin’ on and off (and up and down) in quantum materials at room temperature
Researchers have found a way to control the interaction of light and quantum -spin- in organic semiconductors, that works even at room temperature. These new materials hold great promise for completely new applications, since we've been able to remove the need for ultra-cold temperatures Sebastian Gorgon Spin is the term for the intrinsic angular momentum of electrons, which is referred to as up or down.

Chemistry - 11.08.2023

Mosquito hearing could be targeted by insecticides
Specific receptors in the ears of mosquitoes have been revealed to modulate their hearing, finds a new study led by researchers at UCL and University of Oldenburg. Scientists say, this discovery could help develop new insecticides and control the spread of harmful diseases, such as malaria. The ability of male mosquitoes to hear female mosquitoes is a crucial requirement for their reproduction.

Physics - Chemistry - 10.08.2023

Making molecules dance to our tune reveals what drives their first movements
Bringing ultrafast physics to structural biology has revealed the dance of molecular -coherence- in unprecedented clarity. How molecules change when they react to stimuli such as light is fundamental in biology, for example during photosynthesis. Scientists have been working to unravel the workings of these changes in several fields, and by combining two of these, researchers have paved the way for a new era in understanding the reactions of protein molecules fundamental for life.

Chemistry - Astronomy / Space Science - 08.08.2023

Chemical contamination on International Space Station is out of this world
Astronauts on the International Space Station are exposed to higher levels of potentially harmful chemical compounds than are found in homes on earth. Concentrations of potentially harmful chemical compounds in dust collected from air filtration systems on the International Space Station (ISS) exceed those found in floor dust from many American homes, a new study reveals.

Chemistry - Environment - 03.08.2023

Mussel-inspired membrane can boost sustainability and add value to industrial wastewater treatment
New nanoporous membrane allows highly efficient separation of wastewater components for reuse, offering industries sustainability and added-value benefits Engineers have developed a new kind of membrane that separates chemicals within wastewater so effectively that they can be reused, presenting a new opportunity for industries to improve sustainability, while extracting valuable by-products and chemicals from wastewater.

Physics - Chemistry - 31.07.2023

Can rainbows monitor the environment?
New nanotechnology may make it easier to identify the chemical composition of impurities and their geometrical shape in samples of air, liquid and live tissue. Using conventional testing techniques, it can be challenging - sometimes impossible - to detect harmful contaminants such as nano-plastics, air pollutants and microbes in living organisms and natural materials.

Chemistry - Environment - 25.07.2023

New method of recycling coloured plastics offers possible solution to ’huge environmental challenge’, scientists claim
A new method for recycling coloured plastics has been developed by scientists at Cardiff University. The process, which breaks down coloured polymers, the principal component of plastics, into their original components, could lead to a circular plastic recycling economy reducing pollution on land and in our oceans, the researchers claim.

Materials Science - Chemistry - 19.07.2023

Oxygen ’holes’ could hold the key to higher performing EV batteries
Scientists have made a breakthrough in understanding and overcoming the challenges associated with nickel-rich materials used in lithium-ion batteries. This will enhance the stability and longevity of these lithium-ion batteries, paving the way for more efficient and reliable energy storage systems Annalena Genreith-Schriever Nickel is already used in lithium-ion batteries, but increasing the proportion of nickel could significantly improve battery energy density, making them especially suitable for electric vehicles and grid-scale storage.

Materials Science - Chemistry - 19.07.2023

Current thinking on batteries overturned by cathode oxidation research
Nickel-rich cathode materials are used in lithium-ion batteries, but their practical applications have been limited. Scientists have made a significant breakthrough in understanding and overcoming the challenges associated with Ni-rich cathode materials used in lithium-ion batteries. These materials have the potential to achieve both high voltages and capacities, but their practical applications have been hindered by structural instabilities and loss of oxygen.

Chemistry - Innovation - 14.07.2023

Oxford chemists achieve breakthrough achievement: hazard-free production of fluorochemicals
Several glass structures of molecules are suspended in the air: the molecules have a central atom, with four connected ones radiating outwards. Image credit: Shutterstock. For the first time, Oxford chemists have generated fluorochemicals - critical for many industries - without the use of hazardous hydrogen fluoride gas.