The Chemical Menace Inside Glaciers and Icebergs
Ice can trap pollutants and accelerate their breakdown, with troubling environmental consequences......»»
From fungi to pharmaceuticals: A milestone for the production of eutyscoparol A and violaceoid C
The natural world is rich in chemical compounds with remarkable medicinal properties. A notable example is penicillin, discovered by chance from the Penicillium mold. This discovery revolutionized the treatment of bacterial infections and highlighted.....»»
Chemists develop new sustainable reaction for creating unique molecular building blocks
Polymers can be thought of like trains: Just as a train is composed of multiple cars, polymers are made up of multiple monomers, and the couplings between the train cars are similar to the chemical bonds that link monomers together. While polymers ha.....»»
Chemical production gets a cleaner boost from a new electrochemical method
A new electrochemical method can make chemical production cleaner and more energy-efficient......»»
Researchers reveal atomic-scale details of catalysts" active sites
The chemical and energy industries depend upon catalysts to drive the reactions used to create their products. Many important reactions use heterogeneous catalysts—meaning that the catalysts are in a different phase of matter than the substances th.....»»
Double whammy antibiotic makes antibiotic resistance much harder—new study
Most antibiotics are natural products of bacteria and other microorganisms from the environment. They are part of a silent chemical warfare among microorganisms in soils, rivers and seas right now. The fact that they are natural products that have be.....»»
Machine learning discovers "hidden-gem" materials for heat-free gas separation
Chemical separation, including gas separation, is a common process that is required for manufacturing and research. It accounts for a whopping 15% of U.S. energy consumption and produces millions of tons of carbon emissions......»»
More microbes found that break down the carbon-fluorine bonds found in some unsaturated PFAS
A team of chemical and environmental engineers at the University of California Riverside, working with colleagues from the University of California Los Angeles, has found a class of microbes that consume PFAS in the environment and sever some of the.....»»
Researchers develop a concept for efficiency-enhanced noble-metal catalysts
The production of more than 90% of all chemical products we use in our everyday lives relies on catalysts. Catalysts speed up chemical reactions, can reduce the energy required for these processes, and in some cases, reactions would not be possible a.....»»
Chemical and transportation industries could boost with new catalyst coating
Coupling electrochemical conversion of the greenhouse gas CO2 with renewable electricity sources—such as solar and wind—promises green production of high-demand chemicals and transportation fuels. Carbon dioxide coupling products such as ethylene.....»»
Retreating Andean rocks signal the world"s glaciers are melting far faster than predicted, report scientists
Rocks recently exposed to the sky after being covered with prehistoric ice show that tropical glaciers have shrunk to their smallest size in more than 11,700 years, revealing the tropics have already warmed past limits last seen earlier in the Holoce.....»»
Metallic nanosheets curl into nanovesicles
Inspired by the cell membrane structure, researchers, led by Dr. Xiaoqing Huang (State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University) and Dr. Qi Shao (College of Chemistry and.....»»
Hidden players in climate change: How microscopic proteins could shape our future
In the narrative about climate change, we often focus on the big and visible—like shrinking glaciers and churning hurricanes. But there's another world, microscopic and hidden, that's just as crucial and the focus of a new study by Amy Gladfelter,.....»»
Research team achieves faster and more efficient synthesis of high-density RNA microarrays
An international research team led by the University of Vienna has succeeded in developing a new version of RNA building blocks with higher chemical reactivity and photosensitivity. This can significantly reduce the production time of RNA chips used.....»»
Giant waves, monster winds and Earth"s strongest current: Why the Southern Ocean is a global engine room
The Southern Ocean is wild and dynamic. It experiences Earth's strongest winds and largest waves. It is home to city-sized icebergs and the biggest ocean current on the globe, as well as tiny turbulent flows that fit inside a teacup......»»
Ammonia-free gallium nitride semiconductor production found to improve crystal quality, reduce environmental impact
Gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors can now be grown without ammonia, a toxic chemical that needs a sophisticated detoxifying system before it can be released into the atmosphere. The new technique is not only more environmentally friendly but also.....»»
Organic nanozymes have broad applications from food and agriculture to biomedicine
Nanozymes are tiny, engineered substances that mimic the catalytic properties of natural enzymes, and they serve a variety of purposes in biomedicine, chemical engineering, and environmental applications. They are typically made from inorganic materi.....»»
Ce-doped yttria transparent ceramic: A new ultraviolet-shielding material for extreme conditions
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation can break most of the chemical bonds in organic matter, and prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light can cause significant harm to humans and objects. In response, UV-shielding materials have been developed to fulfill variou.....»»
Developing new methods for targeted protein degradation
Northwestern Medicine scientists have developed a new, more precise method to target proteins implicated in certain types of cancer, according to a study published in Nature Chemical Biology......»»
Plants" hidden allies: Root microbiota fight back against leaf-mining flies
Plants encounter various biotic stresses, with insect herbivory being particularly destructive. Traditional chemical insecticides used to combat these pests pose environmental and health risks......»»
Researchers explore interplay between high-affinity DNA and carbon nanotubes
Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have emerged as promising candidates for applications in biotechnology and nanoelectronics due to their exceptional physical and chemical properties. Despite their potential, challenges like insolubility and to.....»»