https://phys.org/chemistry-news/materials-science en-us The latest news on chemistry and materials science A University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign study is the first to describe an electrochemical strategy to capture, concentrate and destroy mixtures of diverse chemicals known as PFAS—including the increasingly prevalent ultra-short-chain PFAS—from water in a single process. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-pfas-aims-pollution-semiconductor-industry.html Polymers Materials Science Thu, 07 Nov 2024 12:12:03 EST news650203921 The process of discovering and designing new chemicals has always been arduous—Sijia Dong wants to change that. As an assistant professor in the department of chemistry and chemical biology, with affiliations in physics and chemical engineering, Dong uses "physics-based simulations, AI and quantum computing" to accelerate chemical discovery. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-chemistry-traditional-methods-chemical-synthesis.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Thu, 07 Nov 2024 09:55:04 EST news650195701 Mimicking how plants convert sunlight into energy has long been a dream for scientists aiming to create renewable energy solutions. Artificial photosynthesis is a process that seeks to replicate nature's method, using sunlight to drive chemical reactions that generate clean energy. However, creating synthetic systems that work as organically as natural photosynthesis has been a significant challenge until now. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-bioinspired-hydrogels-harness-sunlight-closer.html Polymers Materials Science Wed, 06 Nov 2024 11:21:03 EST news650114461 Researchers at the University of Liverpool have developed AI-driven mobile robots that can carry out chemical synthesis research with extraordinary efficiency. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-ai-driven-mobile-robots-team.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Wed, 06 Nov 2024 11:00:01 EST news650105021 With the goal of achieving a carbon-neutral society and eliminating greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, efforts are accelerating to utilize hydrogen as a key energy source. To achieve this goal, the technologies for hydrogen storage, transportation, and reproduction are actively being developed in Japan, including high-pressure hydrogen, liquid hydrogen, and liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHCs) such as methylcyclohexane. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-synthesis-method-recovered-carbon-dioxide.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Wed, 06 Nov 2024 10:58:31 EST news650113107 Scientists at the Advanced Science Research Center at the CUNY Graduate Center (CUNY ASRC) have developed a novel approach to better understand and predict the behaviors of water-responsive materials—solid matter that can change shape by absorbing or releasing water in response to humidity fluctuations. These materials, commonly found in nature, have the potential to revolutionize a range of industries, from robotics and smart textiles to bioelectronics and clean energy generation systems. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-scientists-key-responsive-biopolymers.html Biochemistry Materials Science Tue, 05 Nov 2024 15:22:06 EST news650042467 The continuing release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere is a major driver of global warming and climate change with increased extreme weather events. Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have now presented a method for effectively converting carbon dioxide into ethanol, which is then available as a sustainable raw material for chemical applications. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-cobalt-copper-tandem-sustainable-approach.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Mon, 04 Nov 2024 12:40:10 EST news649946401 A team of researchers have discovered a metal-organic framework (MOF) that suppresses charge recombination, which is a major challenge in photocatalytic overall water splitting. Their study was published in Nature Chemistry. https://phys.org/news/2024-11-catalyst-suppress-recombination-photocatalytic.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Mon, 04 Nov 2024 11:32:03 EST news649942321 Takeout containers get your favorite noodles from the restaurant to your dining table (or couch) without incident, but they are nearly impossible to recycle if they are made from foil-lined plastics. Research published in ACS Omega suggests that replacing the plastic layer with paper could create a more sustainable packaging material. The researchers used mechanical demonstrations and computer simulations to identify paper-aluminum laminate designs that won't compromise on performance. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-paper-aluminum-combo-plastic-strong.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Thu, 31 Oct 2024 14:50:03 EDT news649605001 USC researchers have developed a new process to upcycle the composite materials appearing in automobile panels and light rail vehicles, addressing a current environmental challenge in the transportation and energy sectors. The study recently appeared in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-method-successfully-recycles-carbon-fiber.html Polymers Materials Science Thu, 31 Oct 2024 14:28:03 EDT news649603681 A research team jointly led by Professor Sung You Hong and Professor Jan-Uwe Rohde has unveiled a novel method for synthesizing allenes—a series of compounds integral to drug development and synthetic chemistry—without relying on hazardous, highly reactive chemicals. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-safe-efficient-method-allenes-possibilities.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Thu, 31 Oct 2024 12:20:01 EDT news649595408 In the search for new materials to be used in space environments, researchers are focusing on the crystallization of substances. By accurately observing and understanding the crystallization process of a substance, they can adjust particle arrangements to enhance performance or control the formation process to create desired materials. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-molecular-symmetry-crystallization-pathways-highly.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Thu, 31 Oct 2024 11:15:10 EDT news649592107 There have been many attempts to create monochromatic metallic materials, but few materials change luster color in response to external stimuli. In a recent breakthrough, researchers from Chiba University have prepared a diacetylene derivative-based metallic luster material that changes from silver to gold under UV irradiation. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-metallic-luster-material-silver-gold.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Wed, 30 Oct 2024 10:06:33 EDT news649501583 A recent collaboration among researchers from HUN-REN Wigner Research Center for Physics in Hungary and the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, along with industry collaborators SandboxAQ and NVIDIA, has achieved unprecedented speed and performance in efforts to model complex metal-containing molecules. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-advanced-graphics-unprecedented-electronic.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Wed, 30 Oct 2024 09:43:35 EDT news649500210 Motivated to turn greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide into high value chemicals like methanol, EPFL chemical engineers have developed a new method to make catalysts. Catalysts are major tools in the chemical industry and are largely made to make petrochemicals. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-precise-layering-catalysts-sustainable-chemicals.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Wed, 30 Oct 2024 09:38:04 EDT news649499881 Scientists have developed a new material capable of capturing the harmful chemical benzene from the polluted air, offering a potential solution for tackling a major health and environmental risk. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-metal-framework-capture-benzene-atmosphere.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Tue, 29 Oct 2024 15:43:03 EDT news649435381 Using state-of-the-art microscopy and simulation techniques, an international research team has systematically observed how iron atoms alter the structure of grain boundaries in titanium. Their findings were published in the journal Science on October 25, 2024. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-team-iron-atoms-grain-boundary.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Tue, 29 Oct 2024 11:38:03 EDT news649420681 A newly discovered protein naturally houses an unusual binding site that can differentiate between rare earth elements, and researchers at Penn State have made it even better. Rare earth elements are key components used in everything from modern tech to gasoline production. The protein, called LanD, enriches neodymium and praseodymium over other similar rare earth elements (REEs) and has the potential to revolutionize industrial mining, researchers said. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-bacterial-protein-efficient-rare-earth.html Biochemistry Materials Science Mon, 28 Oct 2024 17:27:04 EDT news649355221 Additive manufacturing (AM) has revolutionized many industries and holds the promise to affect many more in the not too distant future. While people are most familiar with the 3D printers that function much like inkjet printers, another type of AM offers advantages using a different approach: building objects with light one layer at a time. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-solvent-free-3d-material-enable.html Materials Science Mon, 28 Oct 2024 16:03:33 EDT news649350208 A team from the Technical University of Berlin, HZB, IMTEK (University of Freiburg) and Siemens Energy has developed a highly efficient alkaline membrane electrolyzer that approaches the performance of established proton-exchange membrane(PEM) electrolyzers. What makes this achievement remarkable is the use of inexpensive nickel compounds for the anode catalyst, replacing costly and rare iridium. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-inexpensive-nickel-compounds-rare-iridium.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Mon, 28 Oct 2024 12:02:03 EDT news649335721 A research team has discovered a new process to induce chirality in halide perovskite semiconductors, which could open the door to cutting-edge electronic applications. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-effort-halide-perovskites-distance.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Mon, 28 Oct 2024 10:35:03 EDT news649330501 A team of chemists and materials scientists at the National University of Singapore, working with colleagues from Manchester University, in the U.K., and Guangdong University of Technology, in China, has developed a type of sponge made of graphene oxide and chitosan, that can be used to extract gold from electronic waste. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-graphene-oxide-chitosan-sponge-ten.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Sat, 26 Oct 2024 14:00:01 EDT news649083089 Art and science are sometimes poles apart, but that isn't the case in a research project described in ACS Omega. For this work, an interdisciplinary team merged scientific research, technological advancements and artistic exploration to experiment with the production, properties and application of a new kind of ceramic. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-boundaries-traditional-ceramic-techniques-merging.html Materials Science Other Fri, 25 Oct 2024 14:00:01 EDT news649083124 Fine-tuning the reactions that produce hydrogen (H2) for use as a clean fuel is an important endeavor to fight against climate change. Researchers at Tohoku University and the Tokyo University of Science have succeeded in improving the catalytic activity for this reaction. The researchers established a synthesis method that can control the surface structure of small metal particles with a diameter of about 1 nm. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-synthesis-method-catalytic-surface-metal.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Fri, 25 Oct 2024 11:10:05 EDT news649073401 Self-assembling molecules into organized structures is highly valuable for developing new materials. One notable class of these materials is lyotropic chromonic liquid crystals (LCLCs), which are molecular assemblies of amphiphilic π-electronic molecules, with water-absorbing and water-repelling parts. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-ion-pairing-approach-lyotropic-chromonic.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Thu, 24 Oct 2024 16:20:34 EDT news649005631 Chemists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed a new theoretical framework for more accurately predicting the behavior of catalysts. These collections of atoms lower the energy needed for countless chemical reactions. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-theoretical-framework-reveals-reaction-conditions.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Tue, 22 Oct 2024 11:00:02 EDT news648805261 The demand for lithium—critical to powering sustainable technologies—is rapidly growing, but up to 75% of the world's lithium-rich saltwater sources remain untappable using current methods. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-lithium-extreme-environments.html Materials Science Tue, 22 Oct 2024 09:12:17 EDT news648807131 The efficient conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2)—one of the main compounds contributing to climate change—into useful fuels and chemicals is a long sought-after research goal. Recent studies have introduced various catalysts that could be used to initiate the so-called electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction in electrolyzers (i.e., devices that drive specific chemical reactions using electricity). https://phys.org/news/2024-10-triazole-molecular-catalyst-enables-efficient.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Tue, 22 Oct 2024 06:40:01 EDT news648747115 A research team from Kumamoto University has successfully developed a new approach to create switchable magnetic materials by using hydrogen bonding at the molecular level. Their study shows how certain metal complexes, previously unresponsive to external stimuli, can now exhibit sharp and complete magnetic transitions by introducing chiral hydrogen bonds. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-strategy-magnetic-hydrogen-bonding-molecular.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Fri, 18 Oct 2024 11:51:03 EDT news648471062 The Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, employs advanced construction techniques designed to withstand wind, seismic activity, and its own massive weight. Among these techniques is the "Meta Column System," which plays a pivotal role by strategically positioning large columns to resist lateral forces, thereby facilitating the construction of such a towering structure. https://phys.org/news/2024-10-leveraging-skyscraper-architecture-porosity-stability.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Fri, 18 Oct 2024 11:25:25 EDT news648469521