https://phys.org/chemistry-news/ en-us The latest news stories on chemistry, biochemistry, polymers, materials science from Phys.org A more complete picture of how excited water molecules at an interface with air lose their energy has been uncovered by RIKEN scientists in a study published in the journal Nature Communications. This finding will be valuable for better understanding processes that occur at water surfaces. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-spectroscopic-technique-singles-molecules-surface.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Thu, 20 Jun 2024 14:50:02 EDT news638113801 The development of drugs through chemical modifications of naturally occurring indole alkaloids has emerged as an attractive research area. However, due to their reactivity, the selective functionalization at the C5 position of the indole ring has been difficult. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-simple-fast-versatile-method-bromination.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Thu, 20 Jun 2024 13:03:25 EDT news638107402 Last year on a Friday evening, chemical biology researcher Josh Smalley was in the lab when he received a call inviting him to appear on the 14th and latest season of "The Great British Bake Off." Starting as one of a group of 12 amateur bakers, Smalley made it all the way to the final round, where the top three contestants compete for the winning spot. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-great-british-finalist-discusses-parallels.html Analytical Chemistry Other Thu, 20 Jun 2024 11:00:01 EDT news638093581 A team of chemists at the University of Bremen, in Germany has developed a new type of nitrene capable of slow reactions that can last for up to three days. Their paper is published in the journal Science. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-chemists-technique-nitrene-reactions-days.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Thu, 20 Jun 2024 09:31:26 EDT news638094683 Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a new biomimetic concept to convert naturally occurring sugars into diverse classes of stable glycosides and glycoproteins without using protecting-group chemistry. This innovation promises to accelerate carbohydrate synthesis and post-translational protein modification, with potential applications for the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and biotechnology sectors. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-boosting-synthesis-stable-sugar-compounds.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Wed, 19 Jun 2024 12:53:04 EDT news638020381 An innovative project to re-purpose existing drugs for their potential as antibiotics has uncovered a highly promising candidate with a potent and unique way of killing drug resistant bacteria. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-drugs-approach-enormous-potential-rapid.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Wed, 19 Jun 2024 11:46:04 EDT news638016361 Somatostatin receptors (SSTRs) constitute a crucial family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that play pivotal roles in regulating hormone secretion and inhibiting tumor growth. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-reveals-molecular-mechanisms-somatostatin-receptor.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Wed, 19 Jun 2024 11:29:02 EDT news638015341 A team led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has invented a technique to study electrochemical processes at the atomic level with unprecedented resolution and used it to gain new insights into a popular catalyst material. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-technology-electrifying-insights-catalysts-atomic.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Wed, 19 Jun 2024 11:00:01 EDT news637944842 Researchers have created a new class of materials called "glassy gels" that are very hard and difficult to break despite containing more than 50% liquid. Coupled with the fact that glassy gels are simple to produce, the material holds promise for a variety of applications. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-class-materials-glassy-gels.html Polymers Materials Science Wed, 19 Jun 2024 11:00:01 EDT news637944781 A research team consisting of NIMS, AGC Inc., and JASRI has observed partial crystallization of a glass—an initial stage in its transformation into a stronger, more heat resistant glass-ceramic. The study is published in the journal NPG Asia Materials. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-reveals-mechanisms-crystal-nucleation-glass.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Wed, 19 Jun 2024 10:37:20 EDT news638012236 Chemical sensors whose signals can be amplified by various triggers hold huge potential in multidisciplinary sciences. However, developing such systems was considered a highly challenging task, until a team of researchers from Tokyo Tech recently came up with a novel signal-amplification system that can be flexibly manipulated by a dynamic allosteric effector or a trigger. This new chemosensor system exhibited exceptional signal amplification by altering the sumanene monomer concentrations. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-amplification-chemosensors-flexibly-allosteric-trigger.html Biochemistry Polymers Wed, 19 Jun 2024 10:33:02 EDT news638011978 An innovative synthesis strategy has opened the way to 2D/3D fused frameworks using inexpensive quinolines as feedstock, report scientists from Tokyo Tech. By leveraging a light-sensitive borate intermediate, the scientists could transform quinoline derivatives into a great variety of 2D/3D fused frameworks in a straightforward and cost-effective manner. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-inexpensive-quinolines-complex-drug-candidates.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Wed, 19 Jun 2024 10:25:04 EDT news638011502 A biofriendly new material made from barley starch blended with fiber from sugarbeet waste—a strong material that turns into compost should it end up in nature—has been created at the University of Copenhagen. In the long term, the researchers hope that their invention can help put the brakes on plastic pollution while reducing the climate footprint of plastic production. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-biodegradable-barley-plastic.html Biochemistry Polymers Tue, 18 Jun 2024 14:37:08 EDT news637940223 If the household cleaner emits a lemon-like odor, this may be due to a nitrile called citronellyl nitrile. These versatile chemical nitrile groups are also used in the manufacture of active pharmaceutical ingredients, superglue and chemical-resistant gloves. The prevalent production process used so far has required a chemical reaction of certain molecules with highly toxic cyanide. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-biocatalytic-method-cyanide-nitrile-production.html Biochemistry Materials Science Tue, 18 Jun 2024 13:24:08 EDT news637935846 Shooting a movie in the lab requires special equipment. Especially when the actors are molecules—invisible to the naked eye—reacting with each other. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-energy-materials.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Tue, 18 Jun 2024 12:46:33 EDT news637933589 Entropy is a hot mess. Randomness and disorder are not exactly virtues in science. Yet it turns out, a sloppy jumble of differently sized atoms can do a better job stabilizing certain nanocrystals than a tidy arrangement of such elements. These so-called high-entropy materials are now being eagerly studied because they could revolutionize a broad range of applications, from energy storage and conversion to ultra-high temperature thermal insulators and electromagnetic interference shielding. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-backdoor-method-high-entropy-material.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Tue, 18 Jun 2024 12:44:19 EDT news637933456 The Theory Department of the Fritz Haber Institute calls attention to catalyst morphology as a key factor in determining what product is being formed during an electrocatalytic reaction. The analysis, published in Nature Catalysis, explores how the "roughness" of a catalyst surface changes the selectivity for a number of technologically important reactions, including the electrochemical conversion of CO2 into fuels and H2O formation in fuel-cells. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-surface-morphology-electrocatalysis.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Tue, 18 Jun 2024 11:33:03 EDT news637929181 A research team led by Prof. Jiang Changlong from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has constructed a visual sensing platform based on DNA aptamer-based sensing system. This sensor can be used for rapid and quantitative detection of organophosphate insecticides, such as profenofos and isocarbophos, in the environment and food. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-sensor-rapid-insecticides.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 18 Jun 2024 10:07:02 EDT news637924021 The exploration of mechanophores continues to expand the practical application of these molecules in materials science, organic synthesis, and pharmaceuticals due to their ability to change physically or chemically in response to force. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-simple-tool-discovery-mechanically-responsive.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Tue, 18 Jun 2024 08:50:05 EDT news637919401 Cryogenic damage has long presented a significant barrier to effective organ preservation, posing challenges to advancements in transplantation and medical treatments. The formation of ice crystals during freezing can compromise cellular structures, leading to irreversible damage and organ failure. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-antifreeze-proteins.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Tue, 18 Jun 2024 04:43:31 EDT news637904605 Wound dressings should provide sterile coverage, protect the wound, and adhere reliably, while still allowing for painless removal. It is essential that the process of skin renewal remains undisturbed. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-polymer-wound-painless-residue-free.html Polymers Materials Science Mon, 17 Jun 2024 16:46:03 EDT news637861562 Achieving stability poses a significant challenge in the practical implementation of photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. The main factors affecting the long-term stability of PEC devices are chemical- and photo-corrosion of the semiconductor light absorbers, along with damage to the surface protection layer and the loss or reconstruction of the active centers of the co-catalysts. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-exploring-mechanisms-stable-photoelectrochemical.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Mon, 17 Jun 2024 16:40:03 EDT news637861202 A research team has successfully developed a catalyst coating technology that significantly improves the performance of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) in just four minutes. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-solid-oxide-fuel-cell-threefold.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Mon, 17 Jun 2024 15:48:57 EDT news637858135 The use of AI to streamline drug discovery is exploding. Researchers are deploying machine-learning models to help them identify molecules, among billions of options, that might have the properties they are seeking to develop new medicines. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-drug-discovery-team-algorithmic-framework.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Mon, 17 Jun 2024 15:45:05 EDT news637857901 When two solutions of oppositely charged polymers (polyelectrolytes) are mixed, phase separation occurs and leads to the formation of a polymer-rich phase and a supernatant phase. The precise distribution of all components, that is polyelectrolytes and counterions, had not yet been determined. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-scientists-nmr-spectroscopy-polyelectrolyte-century.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Mon, 17 Jun 2024 13:00:03 EDT news637848002 An international research team led by Dr. Florian Auras from Dresden University of Technology (TUD) has succeeded in developing a new type of material in the rather young research field of covalent organic frameworks. The new two-dimensional polymer is characterized by the fact that its properties can be controlled in a targeted and reversible manner. This has brought the researchers a step closer to the goal of realizing switchable quantum states. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-2d-polymer-scientists-closer-switchable.html Polymers Materials Science Mon, 17 Jun 2024 12:29:20 EDT news637846157 A research team led by Prof. Wang Zhandong from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), observed a series of covalent cluster intermediates in resonantly stabilized free radical gas-phase reactions with a synchrotron radiation vacuum ultraviolet photoionization mass spectrometry experimental platform, revealing the role of resonantly stabilized free radicals in the growth of particulate matter mass. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-mechanism-carbonaceous-particle-formation.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Mon, 17 Jun 2024 12:18:52 EDT news637845529 Australian researchers, led by Monash University, have invented a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool which is poised to reshape virtual screening in early stage drug discovery and enhance scientists' ability to identify potential new medicines. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-ai-tool-rapid-effective-drug.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Mon, 17 Jun 2024 12:18:23 EDT news637845499 A gold-coated milling vessel for ball mills proved to be a real marvel in the research work by Inorganic Chemistry at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany. Without any solvents or environmentally harmful chemicals, the team led by Professor Lars Borchardt was able to use the vessel to convert alcohols into aldehydes. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-alcohols-aldehydes-solvents-gold-coated.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Mon, 17 Jun 2024 10:22:29 EDT news637838547 L-DOPA is the best drug we have for Parkinson's disease, but its molecular mirror image, D-DOPA, causes dangerous side effects. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-video-parkinson-drug-turtles.html Other Mon, 17 Jun 2024 10:18:03 EDT news637838278