How do you destroy a forever chemical?
3M offers $10.3 billion settlement over PFAS contamination in water systems. What's next? Enlarge (credit: Andrew Brookes) PFAS chemicals seemed like a good idea at first. As Teflon, they made pots easier to clean starti.....»»
Scientists create method to bond hydrogels and other polymeric materials using chitosan
Hydrogels are versatile biomaterials conquering an increasing number of biomedical areas. Consisting of water-swollen molecular networks that can be tailored to mimic the mechanical and chemical features of various organs and tissues, they can interf.....»»
Natural pesticides gain ground in "agri-tox" capital Brazil
Inspecting a thriving green field, Brazilian farmer Adriano Cruvinel is beaming: Using a fraction of the chemical products he used to, he is growing even more soy, thanks to natural pesticides......»»
Researchers expand ways to improve the selectivity of catalytic reactions
Researchers from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), Harvard Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology, and Utrecht University have reported on a previously elusive way to improve the selectivity of catalyt.....»»
New synthesis method uses light reaction on a water surface
By forming chemical bonds between atoms, complex molecules such as those needed for medicines, crop protection products, or high-performance materials are prepared using synthetic chemistry. Such synthesis reactions typically require organic solvents.....»»
New study describes how chemical composition of US air pollution has changed over time
A new study published in Atmospheric Environment by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has analyzed space and time trends for fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the continental United States to track the progress of regula.....»»
New study finds little-known toxic crop chemical in four out of five people tested
A new Environmental Working Group study has found chlormequat, a little-known pesticide, in four out of five people tested. Because the chemical is linked to reproductive and developmental problems in animal studies, the findings suggest the potentia.....»»
Engineering a coating for disease-free produce
Dr. Mustafa Akbulut, professor of chemical engineering, has teamed up with horticultural science professor Luis Cisneros-Zevallos to engineer longer-lasting, bacteria-free produce......»»
Greetings from the island of enhanced stability: The quest for the limit of the periodic table
Since the turn of the century, six new chemical elements have been discovered and subsequently added to the periodic table of elements, the very icon of chemistry. These new elements have high atomic numbers up to 118 and are significantly heavier th.....»»
How "have you tried turning it off and on again?" works for chemistry, not just computers
A new study from Tel Aviv University has discovered that a known practice in information technology can also be applied to chemistry. Researchers found that to enhance the sampling in chemical simulations, all you need to do is stop and restart......»»
Vanadium research makes key advance for capturing carbon from the air
A chemical element so visually striking it was named for a goddess shows a "Goldilocks" level of reactivity—neither too much nor too little—that makes it a strong candidate as a carbon scrubbing tool......»»
Fungicide resistance: A threat to the health of humans, animals and plants
Fungi can cause disease in humans, animals and plants. Every year, 1.5 million people die from fungal infections, and fungal attacks in food crops threaten food production. To protect ourselves, we have developed chemical agents—in the form of medi.....»»
Understanding the chemical communication between cells
Like the people they make up, cells communicate by bumping into one another and exchanging handshakes. Unlike people, cells perform these handshakes using the diverse range of sugar molecules coating their surface like trees covering a landscape. Han.....»»
Hubble traces "string of pearls" star clusters in galaxy collisions
Contrary to what you might think, galaxy collisions do not destroy stars. In fact, the rough-and-tumble dynamics trigger new generations of stars and presumably accompanying planets......»»
Ghana: Kumasi city"s unplanned boom is destroying two rivers—sewage, heavy metals and chemical pollution detected
Ghana's urban population has more than tripled in the past three decades, from 4 million to nearly 14 million people. Competition for land in cities has increased among various land uses. These trends have led to encroachment in ecologically sensitiv.....»»
Acid attacks appear to be on the rise—what the numbers tell us about corrosive substances and crime
The horrific attack in Clapham, South London, has brought the issue of acid violence and chemical attacks to the fore. On January 31, Abdul Ezedi allegedly decanted a corrosive substance over a mother and her two children. Thankfully, the injuries su.....»»
Pore power: High-speed droplet production in microfluidic devices
Over the past two decades, microfluidic devices, which use technology to produce micrometer-sized droplets, have become crucial to various applications. These span chemical reactions, biomolecular analysis, soft-matter chemistry, and the production o.....»»
Guanine synthesis yields new insights into nitrogen"s role in nanocarbon catalysis
Recently, carbon-based catalysts—especially nitrogen-doped nanocarbons—have emerged as sustainable, reliable alternatives to the metal catalysts traditionally used to support chemical reactions......»»
Unsurprisingly, Apple Vision Pro lenses will scratch if you try to destroy them
As expected, YouTube assessments of the durability of the Apple Vision Pro have arrived, with one loudly complaining that a laminate glass will scratch.An Apple Vision Pro being scratched with a knife [YouTube/JerryRigEverything]The build quality App.....»»
Smells like evolution: Fruit flies reveal surprises in chemical sensing
A new study in Nature Communications unveils the hidden world of sensory evolution in fruit flies. By delving into the genes and cells behind their delicate noses and tongues, researchers have discovered surprising secrets about how these tiny insect.....»»
Scientists find a close-loop recycling process for one of the most widely used plastics
A pioneering development enables the targeted replication of the chemical structure of low-density polyethylene (LDPE), a plastic that has been difficult to imitate until now, and shows great potential for sustainable alternatives in the plastics ind.....»»