https://phys.org/chemistry-news/chemistry-other en-us The latest science news on composition, structure, and properties of matter A professor at the University of Warwick is exploring the chemistry of the galaxy far, far away this Star Wars Day, May the 4th. https://phys.org/news/2024-05-chemist-explores-real-world-science.html Analytical Chemistry Other Fri, 03 May 2024 11:25:18 EDT news633954316 Many plant-based meats have seemingly done the impossible by recreating animal products ranging from beef to seafood. But beyond just the taste and texture, how do these products compare to the real thing in nutritional value? A small-scale study published in Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry shows that while some "plant steaks" and "plant cold cuts" might be comparable to meats on some fronts, their amino acid content and protein digestibility fall short. https://phys.org/news/2024-04-based-steaks-cold-lacking-protein.html Biochemistry Other Fri, 19 Apr 2024 13:37:08 EDT news632752625 Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University and Los Alamos National Laboratory have used machine learning to create a model that can simulate reactive processes in a diverse set of organic materials and conditions. https://phys.org/news/2024-03-scientists-machine-method-chemical-reactions.html Analytical Chemistry Other Thu, 07 Mar 2024 05:00:01 EST news628965310 Three scientists won the Nobel Prize in chemistry Wednesday for their work on quantum dots—tiny particles just a few nanometers in diameter that can release very bright colored light and whose applications in everyday life include electronics and medical imaging. https://phys.org/news/2023-10-scientists-nobel-prize-chemistry-tiny.html Materials Science Other Wed, 04 Oct 2023 06:03:11 EDT news615618179 In the refrigerated grocery store aisle, meat alternatives greatly outnumber plant-based seafoods. But more mock seafood options are needed because of unsustainable fishing and aquaculture practices, which can deplete the supply and harm the environment. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-3d-printed-vegan-seafood.html Materials Science Other Sun, 13 Aug 2023 05:00:01 EDT news610953003 Danish painters in the 19th century may have turned to an unusual source for some of their supplies: breweries. https://phys.org/news/2023-05-danish-masters-prepped-canvases-leftovers.html Other Wed, 24 May 2023 17:07:53 EDT news604166868 In chemistry, we have He, Fe and Ca—but what about do, re and mi? Hauntingly beautiful melodies aren't the first things that come to mind when looking at the periodic table of the elements. However, using a technique called data sonification, a recent college graduate has converted the visible light given off by the elements into audio, creating unique, complex sounds for each one. Today, the researcher reports the first step toward an interactive, musical periodic table. https://phys.org/news/2023-03-elements.html Materials Science Other Sun, 26 Mar 2023 08:12:19 EDT news599037118 Black women and others with curly or kinky hair encounter a vast and confusing array of haircare options. Advice on the best products to use for a certain type of hair is often contradictory, and the results can be highly variable. Now, scientists are bringing order to this chaos by identifying properties such as the number of curls or coils in a given length of hair that could eventually help users pick the perfect product and achieve consistent results. https://phys.org/news/2023-03-ways-kinks-easier-natural-hair.html Materials Science Other Sun, 26 Mar 2023 08:08:14 EDT news599036883 It sounds like a party trick: Add water to the clear, licorice-flavored ouzo liquor, and watch it turn cloudy. This "ouzo effect" is an example of an easy way to make highly stable emulsions—or mixtures of liquids that don't like being together, like vinaigrettes—but nobody has yet fully understood how it works. Now, researchers report in ACS Central Science that the secret may lie in the unique structure of the emulsion's droplets. https://phys.org/news/2023-03-diluting-ouzo-liquor-emulsions.html Analytical Chemistry Other Wed, 08 Mar 2023 09:40:02 EST news597490801 A Rutgers scientist has developed a formulation of low-fat chocolate that can be printed on a 3D printer in pretty much any shape a person can conceive, including a heart. https://phys.org/news/2023-02-healthy-valentine-day-chocolates.html Other Tue, 14 Feb 2023 13:15:39 EST news595602933 Three scientists were jointly awarded this year's Nobel Prize in chemistry on Wednesday for developing a way of "snapping molecules together" that can be used to explore cells, map DNA and design drugs that can target diseases such as cancer more precisely. https://phys.org/news/2022-10-nobel-prize-chemists-molecules-click.html Materials Science Other Wed, 05 Oct 2022 06:54:56 EDT news584171690 No movie experience is complete without popcorn, whether plain, buttered, or coated with sweet or savory toppings. Microwaves and counter-top air poppers are common appliances for making this tasty snack at home, but now, a study in ACS Food Science & Technology reports that infrared cooking is yet another way people can make the treat. Using a pilot infrared popping system, the researchers were able to produce a version of the snack that taste-testers liked. https://phys.org/news/2022-09-large-tasty-popcorn-kernels-infrared.html Other Tue, 06 Sep 2022 09:55:03 EDT news581676891 Beetle larvae, such as mealworms, are often considered to be creepy, crawly nuisances. But these insects are edible and could be a healthful alternative to traditional meat protein sources. Today, researchers report that they've cooked up mealworms with sugar, creating a "meat-like" flavoring. It could someday be used in convenience foods as a tasty source of extra protein. https://phys.org/news/2022-08-cooking-mealworms-tasty-healthful-meat-like.html Other Wed, 24 Aug 2022 05:00:02 EDT news580535428 Databases containing huge amounts of experimental data are available to researchers across a wide variety of chemical disciplines. However, a team of researchers have discovered that the available data is unsuccessful in predicting the yields of new syntheses using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Their study published in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition suggests that this is in large part down to the tendency of scientists not to report failed experiments. https://phys.org/news/2022-06-clearer-negative-experimental-results-reaction.html Analytical Chemistry Other Thu, 09 Jun 2022 12:18:02 EDT news573995879 Scientists led by EPFL have developed a new method to measure chemical kinetics by imaging progress of a reaction at a liquid-liquid interface embedded in a laminar-flow liquid microjet. This method is ideal for studies of dynamics on the sub-millisecond timescale, which is very difficult to do with current applications. https://phys.org/news/2022-05-imaging-chemical-kinetics-liquid-liquid-interfaces.html Other Wed, 04 May 2022 10:04:47 EDT news570877484 An international team of researchers has developed a computer system that can analyze a sample of chemical waste and create the routes to synthesize new, useful chemicals. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the group describes the work that went into creating the system and how well it worked when they tested it by synthesizing chemicals from waste samples. https://phys.org/news/2022-04-chemical-ways-products.html Analytical Chemistry Other Fri, 29 Apr 2022 09:05:03 EDT news570441899 One of the most challenging aspects of modern chemistry is managing data. For example, when synthesizing a new compound, scientists will go through multiple attempts of trial-and-error to find the right conditions for the reaction, generating in the process massive amounts of raw data. Such data is of incredible value, as, like humans, machine-learning algorithms can learn much from failed and partially successful experiments. https://phys.org/news/2022-04-chemical.html Analytical Chemistry Other Mon, 04 Apr 2022 14:25:43 EDT news568301139 Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich chemists have shown that organocatalysts go through an evolution and could have played an important role in the emergence of life. https://phys.org/news/2022-01-early-earth-evolution-abiotic-world.html Other Wed, 19 Jan 2022 09:12:59 EST news561805977 No longer just a dream of vegetarians and vegans, fake meat is becoming more widely available in grocery stores and restaurants. And more options are almost certainly on the way. In a study reported in ACS Food Science & Technology, one team has developed a new combination of plant-based ingredients tailored for 3D printing meat alternatives. Their most successful recipes required an odd-sounding addition: cocoa butter, derived from cocoa beans of chocolate fame. https://phys.org/news/2021-12-meat-alternatives-3d-printingand-cocoa.html Other Wed, 08 Dec 2021 08:43:21 EST news558175396 It's a tempting thought: With climate change so difficult to manage and nations unwilling to take decisive action, what if we could mitigate its effects by setting up a kind of chemical umbrella—a layer of sulfuric acid in the upper atmosphere that could reflect the sun's radiation and cool the Earth? https://phys.org/news/2021-11-geoengineering-mitigate-climate-fundamental-chemistry.html Other Mon, 22 Nov 2021 15:20:12 EST news556816807 Tap water produces a natural protective shield against harmful microplastics, which can help prevent household products such as plastic kettles from releasing them. That's according to a team of scientists from AMBER, the SFI Centre for Advanced Materials and Bioengineering Research, Trinity, and University College Dublin. https://phys.org/news/2021-10-scientists-shield-microplastics.html Other Fri, 22 Oct 2021 09:08:17 EDT news554112491 Two scientists won the Nobel Prize in chemistry Wednesday for finding an ingenious and environmentally cleaner way to build molecules—an approach now used to make a variety of compounds, including medicines and pesticides. https://phys.org/news/2021-10-nobel-prize-chemistry-honors-tool.html Other Wed, 06 Oct 2021 05:56:35 EDT news552718588 Many children, as well as adults, dislike Brassica vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. In the mouth, enzymes from these vegetables and from bacteria in saliva can produce unpleasant, sulfurous odors. Now, researchers reporting in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry have found that levels of these volatile compounds are similar in parent-child pairs, suggesting shared oral microbiomes. They also found that high levels cause children to dislike the vegetables. https://phys.org/news/2021-09-children-cauliflower-broccoli-written-microbiome.html Other Wed, 22 Sep 2021 08:00:01 EDT news551509846 Gadolinium-based contrast agents, the gold standard in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine the health of a patient, can be improved, according to Rice University engineers who are refining models they first used to enhance oil and gas recovery. https://phys.org/news/2021-09-modern-simulations-mris.html Materials Science Other Mon, 20 Sep 2021 12:36:14 EDT news551360171 Coffee drinkers intuitively recognize the pleasure of swallowing a smooth, rich brew versus a watery one. Aside from added cream or sugar, the coffee itself contributes to this sensation—referred to as body or mouthfeel—but the specific compounds are not well defined. Now, researchers report several coffee compounds that contribute to the feeling of the beverage coating the inside of the mouth, as well as astringency and chalkiness sensations. The results could be used to tune processing and roasting conditions for specialty coffees. https://phys.org/news/2021-08-compounds-coffee-distinctive-mouthfeel.html Other Tue, 24 Aug 2021 05:00:02 EDT news548998447 For many meat eaters, summer barbecues wouldn't be the same without the mouthwatering aroma of burgers cooking on the grill. But many people are now open to trying plant-based alternatives, as long as they closely resemble the taste, odor, appearance and texture of real beef. Now, researchers report that the aromas of a couple of plant-based burgers come close to the real deal when they are cooking, though other products still have a long way to go. https://phys.org/news/2021-08-sniffing-plant-based-burgers-real-beef.html Biochemistry Other Mon, 23 Aug 2021 05:00:03 EDT news548909576 As meat-eating continues to increase around the world, food scientists are focusing on ways to create healthier, better-tasting and more sustainable plant-based protein products that mimic meat, fish, milk, cheese and eggs. https://phys.org/news/2021-06-food-scientists-aim-plant-based-protein.html Other Fri, 04 Jun 2021 13:46:48 EDT news542033191 The discovery and development of new small-molecule compounds for therapeutic use involves a huge investment of time, effort and resources. Giving a new spin to conventional chemical synthesis, a team of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has developed a way to automate the production of small molecules suitable for pharmaceutical use. The method can potentially be used for molecules that are typically produced via manual processes, thereby reducing the manpower required. https://phys.org/news/2021-06-technique-automate-production-pharmaceutical-compounds.html Other Tue, 01 Jun 2021 07:25:47 EDT news541751144 NUS food scientists have demonstrated that finely ground wheat bran can be added to Asian wheat noodles by up to 20% without compromising organoleptic acceptance. This can be an effective approach to promote higher dietary fiber intake. https://phys.org/news/2021-05-noodles-enriched-dietary-fiber-advanced.html Other Mon, 03 May 2021 10:34:31 EDT news539256868 Researchers from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore), Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) and Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) have developed a new way to create "food inks" from fresh and frozen vegetables that preserves their nutrition and flavor better than existing methods. https://phys.org/news/2021-02-dishing-d-food-tasty-printout.html Other Thu, 04 Feb 2021 07:47:42 EST news531647256