Phys.org Chemistry

• Unraveling the hidden dynamics behind copper chalcogenides' exceptional carbon dioxide-to-formate conversion

  The origin of the elusive preference of copper chalcogenides for selectively converting carbon dioxide (CO2) into formate has long puzzled researchers. Researchers at National Taiwan University have identified a charge-redistribution mechanism that resolves this long-standing debate, providing fundamental insight into the basis of their exceptional selectivity.

• Precise catalyst design boosts hydrogen gas production efficiency and affordability

  A recent advance in the science of hydrogen fuel production could enable higher output and more sustainable production of this renewable energy source, researchers with Stockholm's KTH Royal Institute of Technology report.

• Chemists pioneer light-driven macrolactone synthesis for fast route to complex natural compound

  Macrolactones—large ring lactones—are core components of many natural products and pharmaceutical agents. Traditional synthetic routes rely on seco acids activated with condensing reagents, often requiring harsh conditions or multi-step procedures. An alternative approach using hydroxyaldehydes has remained limited, and radical-based macrolactonization of these substrates had never been reported.

• Kinetic decoupling-recoupling strategy enables 79% yield of ethylene and propylene from polyethylene

  In a study published in Nature Chemical Engineering, a team has developed a kinetic decoupling-recoupling (KDRC) strategy that enables the conversion of polyethylene (PE) to ethylene and propylene with a yield of 79%.

• Chemists synthesize a fungal compound that holds promise for treating brain cancer

  For the first time, MIT chemists have synthesized a fungal compound known as verticillin A, which was discovered more than 50 years ago and has shown potential as an anticancer agent.

• Antibiotics could trigger immune response through gut microbiome metabolites

  The microbes inside our bodies not only help break down food but also impact our health. Yet their precise influence is not always understood, especially in the presence of prescription drugs.

• Fish freshness easily monitored with a new sensor

  To see if a fish is fresh, people recommend looking at its eyes and gills or giving it a sniff. But a more accurate check for food quality and safety is to look for compounds that form when decomposition starts.

• Tailored single atom platforms hold promise for next-generation catalysis

  Catalysts play a vital role in modern society, supporting processes from metallurgy to pharmaceutical production. To reduce environmental impact and maximize efficiency, science has pushed the boundaries between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis toward single-atom catalysts. However, working with individual atoms poses enormous challenges: it is difficult to overcome their tendency to aggregate into clusters, especially at temperatures above cryogenic levels, and it is complex to arrange them precisely in specific chemical environments.

• Tracking forever chemicals across food web shows not all isomers are distributed equally

  When University at Buffalo chemists analyzed samples of water, fish, and bird eggs, they weren't surprised to find plenty of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). After all, these "forever chemicals" turn up nearly everywhere in the environment.

• Sunlight, water and air power a cleaner method for making hydrogen peroxide

  Cornell scientists have discovered a potentially transformative approach to manufacturing one of the world's most widely used chemicals—hydrogen peroxide—using nothing more than sunlight, water and air. The research is published in the journal Nature Communications.

• Chance discovery converts toxic nitric oxide into nitrogen gas at room temperature

  Nitrogen is a crucial component of proteins and nucleic acids, the fundamental building blocks of all living things, and thus is essential to life on Earth. Gaseous N2 from the atmosphere can be fixed by soil bacteria capable of converting N2 to ammonia or nitrates (NO3).

• Alcohol and ultrasonic irradiation: An effective CCl₄ decomposition tag team

  Carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) is a type of volatile organic compound (VOC) that was once widely used as a refrigerant and cleaning agent, but is now strictly regulated due to its toxic properties. However, its environmental impact remains a concern and recent reports indicate that CCl₄ emissions have been detected in some countries. Therefore, the development of CCl₄ decomposition technology is critical, and holds promise for its application in decomposing and neutralizing various VOCs.

• New palladium-gold alloy catalyst boosts methane-to-ethylene conversion with solar power

  Researchers just hit two benefits with one catalyst. They converted methane (CH4), a potent greenhouse gas, into ethylene (C2H4), a highly demanded raw material in industrial sectors, using sunlight and a newly designed palladium–gold (PdAu) alloy cocatalyst. This process not only removed an unwanted gas from the atmosphere but also turned it into a valuable resource by harnessing solar power.

• Basic research challenges China's monopoly on rare earth elements

  Materials that are essential for the transition to a sustainable society are currently being extracted using methods that are far from sustainable or environment-friendly. Magnets based on REE are manufactured in China, which has very different legislation to Sweden, for example.

• Bird-of-paradise inspires darkest fabric ever made

  The color "ultrablack"—defined as reflecting less than 0.5% of the light that hits it—has a variety of uses, including in cameras, solar panels and telescopes, but it's difficult to produce and can appear less black when viewed at an angle. Now, a Cornell lab has devised a simple method for making the elusive color.

• From pine chips to pharmaceuticals: Lignin upcycled into amides using reusable catalyst

  An international research team from the Leibniz Institute for Catalysis (LIKAT) has developed a novel, environmentally friendly process for producing high-quality amides from the plant substance lignin—important building blocks for pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and modern materials.

• Durable plastics made from essential oil compounds offer easy recycling

  Cheap, strong, and versatile, plastic seemed like the perfect invention—until its staying power turned into a global headache. Now, Yokohama National University researchers have developed a plant-based alternative that could one day offer the same benefits with a cleaner way out.

• Silver-infused zeolite efficiently separates xenon from krypton for industrial use

  An international team of researchers have found a better way to separate two rare and important gases—xenon and krypton—that are often combined in chemical, petrochemical, metallurgical, and environmental processes.

• Sugar-coated sensor sniffs out look-alike molecules in the air

  Scientists have designed a new type of gas sensor that can tell apart "mirror image" versions of the same smell molecule, even at very low concentrations. By coating carbon nanotubes with custom-built sugar-based receptors, the sensor can spot tiny structural differences in common volatile compounds like terpenes.

• Tiny lead fragments in hunted meat exceed safe levels, study reveals

  This fall, when Adam Leontowich headed to southeast Saskatchewan to hunt whitetailed deer and ruffed grouse, he once again opted for lead-free ammunition—cartridges with copper bullets for his .308 rifle and shells with steel pellets for his 12-gauge shotgun. It's the fourth hunting season that he's done so.

• 'Stick and glue' method enables more precise biomolecule tracking in cells

  A team of researchers at IOCB Prague headed by Dr. Tomáš Slanina has developed a new method for labeling molecules with fluorescent dyes that surpasses existing approaches in both precision and stability. The new fluorescent label remains covalently bonded to its target molecule and does not fall apart even under demanding conditions inside living cells. This allows scientists to track labeled molecules over long periods with high reliability—an advantage for research in biology, chemistry, and medicine.

• New plastics designed to degrade on demand may help address global waste

  Yuwei Gu was hiking through Bear Mountain State Park in New York when inspiration struck. Plastic bottles littered the trail and more floated on a nearby lake. The jarring sight in such a pristine environment made the Rutgers chemist stop in his tracks. Nature makes plenty of long-stranded molecules called polymers, including DNA and RNA, yet those natural polymers eventually break down. Synthetic polymers such as plastics don't. Why?

• How phototherapy could reverse antibiotic resistance

  Lars Stevens-Cullinane works in a dark room. But he's not processing negatives and printing photographs on light-sensitive paper; he's testing whether brief flashes of light can make drug-resistant bacteria sensitive to antibiotics.

• Group 13 elements: The lucky number for sustainable redox agents?

  Researchers from The University of Osaka created a reagent for important building-block molecules with an abundant main-group element, gallium. These early findings show that an organic gallium compound can display transition-metal-like reactivity under light irradiation. Using common main-group elements like gallium offers a new way to make sustainable catalysts that do not need expensive transition metals, which are environmentally damaging and vulnerable to supply disruption.

• Watching metal crystals grow inside liquid metal: Imaging technique could boost hydrogen production

  If you dissolve sugar in hot water and then cool it down, you'll see pure sugar crystals form while impurities stay in the liquid. You can even watch the beautiful sugar crystals slowly grow in the water.