https://phys.org/chemistry-news/materials-science en-us The latest news on chemistry and materials science 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Getting a molecule to do what you want it to do is not always easy. An organic molecule will absorb only certain wavelengths of light based on its arrangement of electrons, which can be difficult to fine tune. Even so, the ability to make substances that respond to only specific ranges of the spectrum could lead to important new applications. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-team-custom-molecules-invisible-absorbing.html Materials Science Mon, 17 Jun 2024 10:14:58 EDT news637838096 Since it was developed a few decades ago, the chemical separation process of organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN), has drawn attention for its potential to revolutionize vital industries, including those in fuel, food, and pharmaceuticals. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-distill-facts-chemical-upend-decades.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Mon, 17 Jun 2024 09:46:03 EDT news637836361 A group of researchers led by Professor Alexander Kvashnin from Skoltech's Energy Transition Center has published a new paper on tungsten pentaboride, WB5-x, a substance that has a number of advantages over traditional catalysts. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-catalyst-reveals-tungsten-pentaboride-resistance.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Mon, 17 Jun 2024 09:44:02 EDT news637836241 Titanium is the ninth most abundant element in the Earth's crust, yet products based on pure titanium are uncommon because it's expensive to remove the oxygen from titanium ore. Reducing costs would encourage manufacturers to take advantage of the highly useful properties of titanium in their products. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-cheap-ultrapure-titanium-metal-enable.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Mon, 17 Jun 2024 08:58:24 EDT news637833501 The sweet smell of strawberries and other fruits is thanks to a chemical compound called ester, which is also found in many fats and polyesters. The ubiquitous compound can be broken down to produce desirable alcohols and other chemicals for use across industries, including pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, but the process can be costly, both financially and in terms of the environment. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-photocatalyst-enables-efficient-ester-reduction.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Sat, 15 Jun 2024 00:00:01 EDT news637574461 National University of Singapore (NUS) chemists have developed hexavalent photocatalytic covalent organic frameworks (COFs) which mimic natural photosynthesis for the production of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), an important industrial chemical. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-photocatalytic-cofs-mimic-photosynthesis-ho.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Fri, 14 Jun 2024 11:01:08 EDT news637581665 A team of materials scientists from Tel Aviv University and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, both in Israel, working with a colleague from California Institute of Technology, in the U.S., has found that mixing a certain peptide with water results in the creation of a self-assembling and self-healing glass. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-accidentally-peptide-results-glass.html Materials Science Thu, 13 Jun 2024 09:55:23 EDT news637491318 A catalyst developed at LIKAT in Rostock opens up new avenues in the synthesis of fine chemicals for pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and household chemicals, for example. Its effect is based on isolated copper atoms applied to a solid carrier material around which the reaction solution flows. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-chemists-heterogeneous-catalysis-synthesis-complex.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Thu, 13 Jun 2024 09:54:03 EDT news637491241 Cooks love stainless steel for its durability, rust resistance and even cooking when heated. But few know the secret that makes stainless steel so popular. It's the metal chromium in stainless steel, which reacts with oxygen in the air to form a stable and protective thin coating for protecting the steel underneath. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-team-tool-complex-metal-alloys.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Wed, 12 Jun 2024 14:21:47 EDT news637420903 As California transitions rapidly to renewable fuels, it needs new technologies that can store power for the electric grid. Solar power drops at night and declines in winter. Wind power ebbs and flows. As a result, the state depends heavily on natural gas to smooth out highs and lows of renewable power. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-liquid-battery-advance-strategies-electrocatalytic.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Wed, 12 Jun 2024 14:04:01 EDT news637419838 Researchers from the University of Eastern Finland (UEF) and the University of Jyväskylä (JYU) have collaborated to publish research on the antiviral capabilities of solid wood surfaces. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-reveals-antiviral-properties-solid-wood.html Biochemistry Materials Science Wed, 12 Jun 2024 12:03:03 EDT news637412581 Hydrogen (H2) is a promising fuel for reducing greenhouse gases, especially if produced by using renewable energy to split water molecules (H2O). But as simple as it may seem to break water into hydrogen and oxygen, the chemistry is complex. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-scientists-efficient-catalyst-theory.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Tue, 11 Jun 2024 12:19:06 EDT news637327142 Researchers at the University of Liverpool have built an AI-assistant to guide laboratory chemists to find new, cheaper ways to make organic molecules. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-ai-synthetic-chemists.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Tue, 11 Jun 2024 10:12:04 EDT news637319522 Academics are often accused of "splitting hairs," but a team at Trinity College Dublin has now devised a machine to do just that. We all have a bad hair day from time to time, and split ends are a common problem. However, the science behind this kind of hair damage is poorly understood, which is why the Trinity team, led by Professor David Taylor, is investigating this knotty problem. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-hairs-team-science-biomechanics-bad.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Mon, 10 Jun 2024 16:52:03 EDT news637257121 Carbon capture and utilization technologies for the conversion of carbon dioxide into carboxylic acids have garnered attention recently, with researchers from Tokyo Tech recently demonstrating a biocatalyzed carboxylation reaction of not only natural substrate, pyruvate, but also an unnatural one, 2-ketoglutarate, using Thermoplasma acidophilum NADP+- malic enzyme under mild reaction conditions. The proposed strategy can be tailored for the selective synthesis through carbon dioxide fixation reactions. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-excess-carbon-dioxide-biocatalyst-driven.html Biochemistry Materials Science Mon, 10 Jun 2024 09:18:04 EDT news637229882 As the electric vehicle market booms, the demand for lithium—the mineral required for lithium-ion batteries—has also soared. Global lithium production has more than tripled in the last decade. But current methods of extracting lithium from rock ores or brines are slow and come with high energy demands and environmental costs. They also require sources of lithium which are incredibly concentrated to begin with and are only found in a few countries. https://phys.org/news/2024-06-method-optimizes-lithium-seawater-groundwater.html Materials Science Sat, 08 Jun 2024 06:17:11 EDT news637046223