Phys.org Chemistry

• Sunlight-driven nanoparticles enable cleaner ammonia synthesis at room temperature

  Ammonia (NH3) is a colorless chemical compound comprised of nitrogen and hydrogen that is widely used in agriculture and in industrial settings. Among other things, it is used to produce fertilizers, as well as cleaning products and explosives.

• Eco-friendly palladium recovery technology to safeguard resource security

  Palladium is widely used in various industries and everyday products, including smartphones, semiconductor manufacturing processes, and hydrogen fuel cells. It is an essential metal that acts as an excellent catalyst even in minute quantities, reducing pollutants and enhancing energy efficiency. However, palladium production is concentrated in a few countries, leading to an unstable supply. South Korea generates significant amounts of spent catalysts and electronic waste annually, and a lack of eco-friendly and efficient recovery technologies means much is discarded.

• Simple wipe test reveals hidden PFAS contamination on firefighter protective gear

  The flames die down. The sirens fade. Firefighters peel off their gear, thinking the danger has passed. But in the quiet aftermath, another enemy lingers, an invisible film of "forever chemicals" clinging to jackets, pants and masks.

• Researchers develop efficient, reusable compound for capturing carbon dioxide from air

  A new method to capture carbon dioxide from the air has been developed at the University of Helsinki's chemistry department.

• Dual-color fluorescent sensor detects trace water in real time with high sensitivity

  A research team led by Professor Jiang Changlong at the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has developed a highly sensitive, real-time sensor for detecting trace water, addressing key challenges in modern industrial quality control and environmental monitoring.

• Aluminum cans are a viable alternative to bottles for red muscadine wine, new study finds

  One of the main reasons wine traditionally comes in bottles is to protect its quality. Glass is nonreactive, and the cork or screw cap provides an airtight seal that prevents oxygen from spoiling the liquid. In recent years, a new rival has appeared on the scene—aluminum cans. But there are concerns that the metal may interact with the wine, altering its unique flavor.

• Sugar-derived crystals show stiffness approaching that of aluminum

  Mucic acid crystals grown from a water-based solution achieved a record-breaking stiffness for an organic crystal.

• An AI-based blueprint for designing catalysts across materials

  Hydrogen peroxide is widely used in everyday life, from disinfectants and medical sterilization to environmental cleanup and manufacturing. Despite its importance, most hydrogen peroxide is still produced using large-scale industrial processes that require significant energy. Researchers are thus seeking cleaner alternatives.

• Scientists boost mitochondria to burn more calories

  Researchers have developed experimental drugs that encourage the mitochondria in our cells to work a little harder and burn more calories. The findings could open the door to new treatments for obesity and improve metabolic health.

• 'Never move around a flaming dessert': A scientist explains the chemistry of a Christmas pudding

  Christmas means different things to different people. For me, it's an opportunity to eat celebratory foods that aren't available all year round.

• A molecular switch for green hydrogen: Catalyst changes function based on how it's assembled

  Hydrogen production through water electrolysis is a cornerstone of the clean energy transition, but it relies on efficient and stable catalysts that work under acidic conditions—currently dominated by precious metals like iridium and platinum.

• Single-image method can accurately evaluate fibrous material porosity

  Researchers from Skoltech Engineering Center's Hierarchically Structured Materials Laboratory have developed a new method to determine the porosity of fibrous materials using a single image taken with a standard optical microscope.

• Converting CO₂ into valuable chemicals in acidic environments: Iodide ions unlock efficient ethylene production

  The emission of carbon dioxide (CO₂) is one of the primary factors contributing to air pollution and climate change on Earth. In recent years, energy engineers have thus been trying to develop systems that could reduce the presence of CO₂ in the air.

• Robotic system synthesizes hundreds of metal complexes to find potential new antibiotic

  Researchers have used a cutting-edge robotic system capable of synthesizing hundreds of metal complexes to develop a possible antibiotic candidate—offering fresh hope in the global fight against drug-resistant infections.

• Predictive 'mismatch' leads to novel carbon capture method

  When experimental results don't match scientists' predictions, it's usually assumed that the predictions were wrong. But new research into materials that pull carbon dioxide directly from the air shows how such mismatches can instead be powerful clues, leading to discoveries that reshape how future materials are designed.

• New technique lights up where drugs go in the body, cell by cell

  When you take a drug, where in your body does it actually go? For most medications, scientists can make only educated guesses about the answer to this question. Traditional methods can measure the concentration of a drug in an organ like the liver, but they can't pinpoint exactly which cells to which the drug binds—or reveal unexpected places where the drug takes action.

• Tracing the quick synthesis of an industrially important catalyst

  Researchers from Tokyo Metropolitan University have successfully traced the mechanism behind how an industrially important "superbase" catalyst is synthesized in a faster, microwave-assisted reaction. They took measurements using X-rays while the reaction occurred, uncovering how small precursor molecules were formed first before they clustered to create the final product.

• AI mimics human-like intuition to explore and analyze chemical reactions

  Chemical reactions are the breaking and forming of chemical bonds, which are fundamental to the creation of new technologies. Inevitably, discovering and developing new chemical reactions is a time-intensive process of trial and error.

• Engineered enzyme turns formaldehyde pollutant into key pharmaceutical building block

  Formaldehyde is a common chemical used in various industries as a disinfectant, resin precursor, and synthetic intermediate. It is volatile, highly toxic, and a key environmental pollutant with genotoxic and carcinogenic effects, harming both human health and the environment. Therefore, there is an urgent need to come up with useful strategies to convert formaldehyde into non-toxic value-added products, ensuring environmental protection as well as chemical sustainability.

• Electricity-driven nitrogen insertion enables sustainable heterocycle synthesis

  Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed an electrochemical reaction manifold that promotes efficient nitrogen atom insertion into saturated carbocycles to access either functionalized quinolines or N-alkylated saturated N heterocycles, both of which are privileged scaffolds in synthetic chemistry and pharmaceutical science.

• Discovery turns household plastic recycling into anti-cancer medication

  A discovery led by the University of St Andrews has found a way to turn ordinary household plastic waste into the building block for anti-cancer drugs.

• 'AI advisor' helps self-driving labs share control in creation of next-generation materials

  "Self-driving" or "autonomous" labs are an emerging technology in which artificial intelligence guides the discovery process, helping design experiments or perfecting decision strategies.

• Improved tracer labeling expands PET imaging possibilities

  Imagine being able to watch organs and tissues work in real time. That's the power of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging, a technology that gives physicians and researchers a window into cellular processes.

• 'Molecular microscope' reveals greener path to ammonia

  A team of researchers at Radboud University has discovered a promising new method to make ammonia—a key ingredient in fertilizers and many industrial chemicals—more efficiently and sustainably.

• Organic materials conduct ions in solids as easily as in liquids thanks to flexible sidechains

  Normally, when liquids solidify, their molecules become locked in place, making it much harder for ions to move and leading to a steep decrease in ionic conductivity. Now, scientists have synthesized a new class of materials, called state-independent electrolytes (SIEs), that break that rule.