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Life Sciences - Chemistry - 28.06.2023
Environment - Chemistry - 19.06.2023 
Clean, sustainable fuels made ’from thin air’ and plastic waste
Researchers have demonstrated how carbon dioxide can be captured from industrial processes - or even directly from the air - and transformed into clean, sustainable fuels using just the energy from the sun. We are not just interested in decarbonisation, but de-fossilisation - we need to completely eliminate fossil fuels in order to create a truly circular economy Erwin Reisner The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, developed a solar-powered reactor that converts captured CO2 and plastic waste into sustainable fuels and other valuable chemical products.
Materials Science - Chemistry - 08.06.2023
Chemistry - Environment - 05.06.2023
Chemistry - Environment - 18.05.2023 
Driving on sunshine: clean, usable liquid fuels made from solar power
Researchers have developed a solar-powered technology that converts carbon dioxide and water into liquid fuels that can be added directly to a car-s engine as drop-in fuel. Shining sunlight on the artificial leaves and getting liquid fuel from carbon dioxide and water is an amazing bit of chemistry Motiar Rahaman The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, harnessed the power of photosynthesis to convert CO2, water and sunlight into multicarbon fuels - ethanol and propanol - in a single step.
Life Sciences - Chemistry - 19.04.2023
Chemistry - Physics - 28.03.2023
Health - Chemistry - 22.03.2023 
Next epidemic could be spotted early in wastewater, say scientists
Bath scientists worked with the water industry and UK Health Security Agency to pilot the first UK public health surveillance system that analyses wastewater. Researchers analysing wastewater say that routine monitoring at sewage treatment works could provide a powerful early warning system for the next flu or norovirus epidemic, alerting hospitals to prepare and providing public health agencies with vital health information.
Physics - Chemistry - 14.03.2023 
Nanorippled graphene becomes a catalyst
A team of researchers led by Prof. Andre Geim from the National Graphene Institute (NGI) have discovered that nanoripples in graphene can make it a strong catalyst, contrary to general expectations that the carbon sheet is as chemically inert as the bulk graphite from which it is obtained. Published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the research has shown that graphene with nanoscale corrugations of its surface can accelerate hydrogen splitting as well as the best metallic-based catalysts.
Life Sciences - Chemistry - 09.03.2023
Chemistry - Physics - 09.02.2023
Chemistry - Physics - 06.02.2023
Physics - Chemistry - 02.02.2023 
New form of ice is like a snapshot of liquid water
A collaboration between scientists at Cambridge and UCL has led to the discovery of a new form of ice that more closely resembles liquid water than any other and may hold the key to understanding this most famous of liquids. Our discovery of MDA raises many questions on the very nature of liquid water and so understanding MDA-s precise atomic structure is very important Michael Davies The new form of ice is amorphous.
Physics - Chemistry - 02.02.2023 
Discovery of new ice may change understanding of water
Researchers at UCL and the University of Cambridge have discovered a new type of ice that more closely resembles liquid water than any other known ices and that may rewrite our understanding of water and its many anomalies. The newly discovered ice is amorphous - that is, its molecules are in a disorganised form, not neatly ordered as they are in ordinary, crystalline ice.
Astronomy / Space Science - Chemistry - 24.01.2023
Physics - Chemistry - 24.01.2023
Chemistry - Innovation - 20.01.2023
Environment - Chemistry - 29.12.2022
Environment - Chemistry - 09.12.2022 
Recycled gold from SIM cards could help make drugs more sustainable
Researchers have used gold extracted from electronic waste as catalysts for reactions that could be applied to making medicines. Re-using gold from electronic waste prevents it from being lost to landfill, and using this reclaimed gold for drug manufacture reduces the need to mine new materials. Current catalysts are often made of rare metals, which are extracted using expensive, energy-intensive and damaging mining processes.
Chemistry - Earth Sciences - 24.11.2022 
Possible organic compounds found in Mars crater rocks
Rock samples from the Jezero crater analysed by the Perseverance rover show evidence of liquid water and signatures that could be organic compounds. A study published in Science analyses multiple rocks found at the bottom of Jezero Crater on Mars, where the Perseverance rover landed in 2020, revealing significant interaction between the rocks and liquid water.
Chemistry
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People with obsessive-compulsive disorder have an imbalance of brain chemicals
According to new research shared in The Conversation, Dr Marjan Biria (UCL Psychiatry) and researchers from Cambridge University have discovered an imbalance in brain chemicals in OCD that could lead to radically different and improved treatments. People often jokingly say they've "got a bit of OCD" (obsessive-compulsive disorder) if they are overly organised or tidy.
According to new research shared in The Conversation, Dr Marjan Biria (UCL Psychiatry) and researchers from Cambridge University have discovered an imbalance in brain chemicals in OCD that could lead to radically different and improved treatments. People often jokingly say they've "got a bit of OCD" (obsessive-compulsive disorder) if they are overly organised or tidy.
Researchers have demonstrated how carbon dioxide can be captured from industrial processes - or even directly from the air - and transformed into clean, sustainable fuels using just the energy from the sun. We are not just interested in decarbonisation, but de-fossilisation - we need to completely eliminate fossil fuels in order to create a truly circular economy Erwin Reisner The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, developed a solar-powered reactor that converts captured CO2 and plastic waste into sustainable fuels and other valuable chemical products.
University of Glasgow contributes to ’game-changing’ new study on electric batteries
A researcher from the James Watt School of Engineering is a co-author of a new study which could significantly improve future generations of electric vehicle (EV) batteries. Dr Guanchen Li contributed to the research, which is led by the University of Oxford and published in Nature . Using advanced imaging techniques, the researchers revealed mechanisms which cause lithium metal solid-state batteries (Li-SSBs) to fail.
A researcher from the James Watt School of Engineering is a co-author of a new study which could significantly improve future generations of electric vehicle (EV) batteries. Dr Guanchen Li contributed to the research, which is led by the University of Oxford and published in Nature . Using advanced imaging techniques, the researchers revealed mechanisms which cause lithium metal solid-state batteries (Li-SSBs) to fail.
New water pollution monitoring system set to make a splash
A new form of low-cost, 3D-printed water pollution sensor could make a splash in the world of environmental monitoring, its developers say. A team of researchers from universities in Scotland, Portugal and Germany developed the sensor, which can help detect the presence of very low concentrations of pesticides in water samples.
A new form of low-cost, 3D-printed water pollution sensor could make a splash in the world of environmental monitoring, its developers say. A team of researchers from universities in Scotland, Portugal and Germany developed the sensor, which can help detect the presence of very low concentrations of pesticides in water samples.
Researchers have developed a solar-powered technology that converts carbon dioxide and water into liquid fuels that can be added directly to a car-s engine as drop-in fuel. Shining sunlight on the artificial leaves and getting liquid fuel from carbon dioxide and water is an amazing bit of chemistry Motiar Rahaman The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, harnessed the power of photosynthesis to convert CO2, water and sunlight into multicarbon fuels - ethanol and propanol - in a single step.
Endurance rowing, parasites and clean clouds: News from the College
Here's a batch of fresh news and announcements from across Imperial. From rowing the Atlantic, to uncovering how parasites move, here is some quick-read news from across the College. Endurance rowing In December 2022, a team including a PhD candidate in the Department of Bioengineering tested their endurance by rowing unsupported across the Atlantic.
Here's a batch of fresh news and announcements from across Imperial. From rowing the Atlantic, to uncovering how parasites move, here is some quick-read news from across the College. Endurance rowing In December 2022, a team including a PhD candidate in the Department of Bioengineering tested their endurance by rowing unsupported across the Atlantic.
Tiny materials have huge solar energy applications
Tiny materials one hundred thousand times smaller than the width of a strand of hair could be used to improve solar cell technology. A study published this month in Advanced Materials shows that materials as small as 1.2 nanometres across could function in solar cells, which harvest energy from the sun.
Tiny materials one hundred thousand times smaller than the width of a strand of hair could be used to improve solar cell technology. A study published this month in Advanced Materials shows that materials as small as 1.2 nanometres across could function in solar cells, which harvest energy from the sun.
Bath scientists worked with the water industry and UK Health Security Agency to pilot the first UK public health surveillance system that analyses wastewater. Researchers analysing wastewater say that routine monitoring at sewage treatment works could provide a powerful early warning system for the next flu or norovirus epidemic, alerting hospitals to prepare and providing public health agencies with vital health information.
A team of researchers led by Prof. Andre Geim from the National Graphene Institute (NGI) have discovered that nanoripples in graphene can make it a strong catalyst, contrary to general expectations that the carbon sheet is as chemically inert as the bulk graphite from which it is obtained. Published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the research has shown that graphene with nanoscale corrugations of its surface can accelerate hydrogen splitting as well as the best metallic-based catalysts.
Biochemical synthesis discovery could unlock new drug development breakthroughs
A mystery about how a chemical compound found in nature could be synthesised in the lab may have been solved, scientists say - a breakthrough which could unlock new developments in medicine. Scientists from universities and research institutions in Scotland and Germany are behind the discovery, published in the journal Nature Chemistry .
A mystery about how a chemical compound found in nature could be synthesised in the lab may have been solved, scientists say - a breakthrough which could unlock new developments in medicine. Scientists from universities and research institutions in Scotland and Germany are behind the discovery, published in the journal Nature Chemistry .
Graphene aerogel particles for efficient water purification
Writing in the Journal of Molecular Liquids , a team led by Professor Aravind Vijayaraghavan based in the National Graphene Institute (NGI) have produced 3-dimensional particles made of graphene, of many interesting shapes, using a variation of the vortex ring effect. The same effect is used to produce smoke rings and is responsible for keeping dandelion seeds flying.
Writing in the Journal of Molecular Liquids , a team led by Professor Aravind Vijayaraghavan based in the National Graphene Institute (NGI) have produced 3-dimensional particles made of graphene, of many interesting shapes, using a variation of the vortex ring effect. The same effect is used to produce smoke rings and is responsible for keeping dandelion seeds flying.
AI lights the way for futuristic electronics – from bendy TVs to lightweight solar cells
AI lights the way for futuristic electronics - from bendy TVs to lightweight solar cells Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming modern electronics - accelerating the design of bendable TV screens, ultra-lightweight revolutionised solar cells and more. In a study published in Nature today, scientists used a type of AI algorithm to create new molecules, suited for electronics that could come straight from a sci-fi movie.
AI lights the way for futuristic electronics - from bendy TVs to lightweight solar cells Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming modern electronics - accelerating the design of bendable TV screens, ultra-lightweight revolutionised solar cells and more. In a study published in Nature today, scientists used a type of AI algorithm to create new molecules, suited for electronics that could come straight from a sci-fi movie.
A collaboration between scientists at Cambridge and UCL has led to the discovery of a new form of ice that more closely resembles liquid water than any other and may hold the key to understanding this most famous of liquids. Our discovery of MDA raises many questions on the very nature of liquid water and so understanding MDA-s precise atomic structure is very important Michael Davies The new form of ice is amorphous.
Researchers at UCL and the University of Cambridge have discovered a new type of ice that more closely resembles liquid water than any other known ices and that may rewrite our understanding of water and its many anomalies. The newly discovered ice is amorphous - that is, its molecules are in a disorganised form, not neatly ordered as they are in ordinary, crystalline ice.
Space collaboration including Sussex scientist makes icy discovery which sheds light on the building blocks of life
In a development believed to shed light on the building blocks of life, an international team of scientists, including Prof Wendy Brown from the University of Sussex, has discovered diverse ices in the darkest, coldest regions of space so-far measured, which are around 500 light years from Earth. The discovery within a molecular cloud was made by scientists from the IceAge project, an international consortium of academics using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), to observe the building blocks of life.
In a development believed to shed light on the building blocks of life, an international team of scientists, including Prof Wendy Brown from the University of Sussex, has discovered diverse ices in the darkest, coldest regions of space so-far measured, which are around 500 light years from Earth. The discovery within a molecular cloud was made by scientists from the IceAge project, an international consortium of academics using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), to observe the building blocks of life.
Scientists open new window on the physics of glass formation
Research from an international team of scientists has cast new light on the physics of vitrification - the process by which glass forms. Their findings, which centre on analysis of a common feature of glasses called the boson peak, could help pave the way for new developments in materials science. The peak can be observed in glass when special equipment is used to study the vibrations of its constituent atoms, where it spikes in the terahertz range.
Research from an international team of scientists has cast new light on the physics of vitrification - the process by which glass forms. Their findings, which centre on analysis of a common feature of glasses called the boson peak, could help pave the way for new developments in materials science. The peak can be observed in glass when special equipment is used to study the vibrations of its constituent atoms, where it spikes in the terahertz range.
Researchers unravel the complex reaction pathways in zero carbon fuel synthesis
Researchers have used isotopes of carbon to trace how carbon dioxide emissions could be converted into low-carbon fuels and chemicals. The result could help the chemical industry, which is the third largest subsector in terms of direct CO2 emissions, recycle its own waste using current manufacturing processes.
Researchers have used isotopes of carbon to trace how carbon dioxide emissions could be converted into low-carbon fuels and chemicals. The result could help the chemical industry, which is the third largest subsector in terms of direct CO2 emissions, recycle its own waste using current manufacturing processes.
Old Christmas trees could be saved from landfill to make renewable fuels
Seven million Christmas trees end up in landfill in the UK each year, releasing an estimated 100,000 tonnes of harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere New research has found a more efficient, simplified process for using pine needles to produce formic acid, for use in hydrogen fuel cells, as a food preservative and in agricultural and industrial manufacturing Pine needles collected after Christmas and processed in this way could be used to
Seven million Christmas trees end up in landfill in the UK each year, releasing an estimated 100,000 tonnes of harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere New research has found a more efficient, simplified process for using pine needles to produce formic acid, for use in hydrogen fuel cells, as a food preservative and in agricultural and industrial manufacturing Pine needles collected after Christmas and processed in this way could be used to
Researchers have used gold extracted from electronic waste as catalysts for reactions that could be applied to making medicines. Re-using gold from electronic waste prevents it from being lost to landfill, and using this reclaimed gold for drug manufacture reduces the need to mine new materials. Current catalysts are often made of rare metals, which are extracted using expensive, energy-intensive and damaging mining processes.
Rock samples from the Jezero crater analysed by the Perseverance rover show evidence of liquid water and signatures that could be organic compounds. A study published in Science analyses multiple rocks found at the bottom of Jezero Crater on Mars, where the Perseverance rover landed in 2020, revealing significant interaction between the rocks and liquid water.
