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.....»»
Building better enzymes—by breaking them down
Enzymes have the potential to transform the chemical industry by providing green alternatives to a slew of processes. These proteins act as biological catalysts, and with the help of molecular engineering, they can make naturally occurring reactions.....»»
Researchers devise a new way to control "3D" effects in chemical reactions
Researchers have observed steric effects—the interactions of molecules depending on their spatial orientation (not just between their electrons involved in bonding)—in a chemical reaction involving non-polar molecules for the first time. The brea.....»»
Successful biosynthesis of the precursors of powerful anticancer drug vinblastine in yeast
Humanity's fight against cancer is expected to continue for years to come. Scientists across the globe are constantly inventing novel synthetic methods for the rapid and efficient production of anticancer therapeutics. However, the chemical synthesis.....»»
Engineered poplar lignin has more of a valuable "clip-off" chemical
Lignin is the complex polymer that gives plants their structural integrity. It also makes them difficult to break down. This complexity creates opportunities for scientists to make a diverse array of biochemicals and bioproducts from components in li.....»»
Converting temperature fluctuations into clean energy with novel nanoparticles and heating strategy
Pyroelectric catalysis (pyro-catalysis) can convert environmental temperature fluctuations into clean chemical energy, such as hydrogen. However, compared with the more common catalysis strategy, such as photocatalysis, pyro-catalysis is inefficient.....»»
Light-driven CO2 assimilation by photosystem II and its relation to photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is the greatest natural process on Earth, converting sunlight into chemical energy on a massive scale and maintaining life. There are basically two successive stages of oxygenic photosynthesis, of which the light-dependent reactions in.....»»
Last year marked the end of an era in spaceflight—here’s what we’re watching next
Will Artemis happen? Can Starship actually work? Will humans destroy low-Earth orbit? Enlarge / Getting the Artemis I mission off the ground marked the end of an important development era for NASA. (credit: Trevor Mahlmann).....»»
Novatech sees clear order visibility ahead
Nova Technology (Novatech), which specializes in chemical and gas equipment used in the semiconductor and display industries, continues to enjoy stable orders from the chipmaking sectors in China and Taiwan, according to company sources......»»
New photochemistry method eases manufacture of drug, chemical precursors
Inexpensive iron salts are a key to simplifying the manufacture of essential precursors for drugs and other chemicals, according to scientists at Rice University......»»
New spectroscopy technique improves trace element detection in liquid
Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a rapid chemical analysis technology that has been well developed for trace element analyses in gases, liquids, and solids. It uses a high-power laser pulse to elicit short-lived, high-temperature plasma.....»»
New approach enables regiodivergent and enantioselective hydroxylation of C-H bonds
Direct selective hydroxylation, one of the most convenient and economical routes employed in C-H oxyfunctionalization, is widely utilized in various of fields including medicine, chemical industry and materials science......»»
Unpaid taxes could destroy porn studio accused of copyright trolling
Malibu Media has just a few weeks left to pay back taxes. Enlarge Over the past decade, Malibu Media has emerged as a prominent so-called “copyright troll,” suing thousands of “John Does” for allegedly torrentin.....»»
Was that explosion chemical or nuclear? New research makes it easier to differentiate between the two
If an underground explosion occurs anywhere in the world, there is a good chance that a seismologist can pinpoint it. However, they won't necessarily be able to tell you what kind of explosion had occurred—whether it is chemical or nuclear in natur.....»»
Solar-powered cells: Light-activated proton pumps generate cellular energy, extend life
New research in the journal Nature Aging takes a page from the field of renewable energy and shows that genetically engineered mitochondria can convert light energy into chemical energy that cells can use, ultimately extending the life of the roundwo.....»»
Male fruit flies found to transfer chemical to females to induce sleep, so they won"t mate with other males
A team of researchers from Bariloche Atomic Center and Fundación Instituto Leloir—IIBBA—CONICET, both in Argentina, has found that male fruit flies inject females with a chemical while mating that makes them sleep after sex so that they will not.....»»
Researchers show a new way to induce useful defects using invisible material properties
Much of modern electronic and computing technology is based on one idea: Add chemical impurities, or defects, to semiconductors to change their ability to conduct electricity. These altered materials are then combined in different ways to produce the.....»»
The peculiar history of thornapple, the hallucinogenic weed that ended up in supermarket spinach
The agent that contaminated baby spinach, prompting the recent national recall, has been revealed. It's a weed, not deliberate misadventure or a chemical contaminant......»»
Drying process could be key step in development of life
One-hundred fifty years ago, Charles Darwin speculated that life likely originated in a warm little pond. There, Darwin supposed, chemical reactions and the odd lightning strike might have led to chains of amino acids that, over time, became more and.....»»
Theoreticians discover why optical cavities curb the rate of chemical reactions
Chemical reactions occur on the scale of atomic vibrations—one million times smaller than the thickness of a human hair. These tiny movements are difficult to control......»»
Intel’s upcoming laptop CPU may destroy even the best desktop chips
The upcoming Intel Core i9-13900HX was spotted in leaked benchmarks. One thing is clear -- this CPU is going to be a real beast......»»