Phys.org Chemistry

• Innovative clip-off chemistry enables fast and precise production of complex molecules

  Researchers at the ICN2 and the UAB have developed a novel strategy to obtain different types of organic molecules by breaking down their molecular structures. This technique enables fast and precise production of these molecules without having to use traditional chemical synthesis. The results pave the way for simple and efficient production of complex molecules, with promising applications in areas such as the development of new materials.

• New catalyst cuts precious palladium expenditure 100-fold by using recycled waste

  Researchers have created a palladium-on-carbon catalyst for drug, pesticide, and plastic production that is very sparing in terms of precious metal use. In the new catalyst, palladium is carried on carbon particles manufactured from biomass processing waste. That form of recycled carbon has almost no pores for the active metal to get lost in, so as little as one-hundredth the usual amount of palladium in industrial catalysts proves sufficient.

• AI pinpoints promising materials that capture only CO₂ from air

  In order to help prevent the climate crisis, actively reducing already-emitted CO₂ is essential. Accordingly, direct air capture (DAC)—a technology that directly extracts only CO₂ from the air—is gaining attention. However, effectively capturing pure CO₂ is not easy due to water vapor (H₂O) present in the air.

• Terbium's green glow: A simple sensor for liver cancer

  Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a unique luminescent probe that uses terbium, a rare earth metal, to sense the presence of an enzyme called β-glucuronidase, which can potentially aid in the detection of liver cancer.

• Reviving Europe's historical scents—including 'the smell of hell'

  Researchers are merging multidisciplinary expertise with AI tools to document, reconstruct and preserve Europe's historical scents.

• Team tackles support structure bottlenecks with dual-wavelength 3D printing

  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) researchers have developed a novel 3D printing technique that uses light to build complex structures, then cleanly dissolves the support material, expanding possibilities in multi-material additive manufacturing (AM).

• Beyond the crystal: Dynamic model captures loop flexibility in swine virus drug design

  Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) continues to devastate the global swine industry, yet the structural basis of how small molecules block its entry into host cells remains unclear. Researchers at the University of Tsukuba and Mahidol University developed a refined model of the PRRSV receptor domain CD163-SRCR5 using state-of-the-art computational approaches, offering new avenues for rational drug design.

• ColdBrew algorithm puts water to work in drug discovery

  Every protein in the body is encased in a water shell that directs protein structure, provides vital stability and steers function. Because of this, water molecules represent a powerful but largely underappreciated foothold in drug binding studies. Yet structural data about these water networks, usually collected at freezing temperatures, often carry temperature-based structural artifacts.

• Solving the mystery of an ancient enzyme could lead to new carbon capture strategies

  Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have discovered important new clues in the mystery of how an ancient enzyme can turn atmospheric carbon into biomolecules, a natural process that could be helpful in developing new methods for converting greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide into useful chemicals.

• New technique rapidly identifies high-performing enzymes for sustainable biomanufacturing

  To make advances in using microbes to sustainably produce materials, it is necessary to find new molecular tools, or enzymes—but this is labor intensive. A Kobe University team has developed a technique that can classify thousands of candidates and a workflow that can evaluate representatives overnight, in what may become a fundamental technology for biomanufacturing.

• Mist and sea spray create unique conditions for urea to form from simple gases

  Urea is considered a possible key molecule in the origin of life. ETH researchers have discovered a previously unknown way in which this building block can form spontaneously on aqueous surfaces without the need for any additional energy.

• Ferritin protein can be used to separate critical metals from electronic waste

  When phones or computers are recycled, small amounts of important materials get discarded. Those minute amounts of cobalt, nickel and lithium add up quickly, and separating and recovering these "critical materials" for reuse is a dirty, energy intensive job.

• Unmasking hazardous compounds in cosmetics, skincare products and perfumes

  Four new studies by scientists from Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) have shown that lifestyle products contain hazardous compounds that have not been detected by previous tests and are not currently regulated. The researchers used a new analytical methodology to investigate 140 skincare products and cosmetics from 20 product segments as well as more than 40 perfumes.

• Avocado pruning residue can transform into biological additive to stabilize emulsions

  Mayonnaise, milk, butter, and various sauces are among the products most associated with the term emulsion. While this technique is widely used in the food industry, it also has a vital role beyond the kitchen. Emulsifying involves homogeneously mixing two liquids that do not blend well naturally, such as oil and water. Although this process may appear simple at first glance, it is essential for the manufacture of numerous products such as paints, cosmetics, and certain pharmaceuticals.

• From brewery to pharma: Brewer's yeast engineered to produce therapeutic peptides

  Scientists have developed an innovative method to produce and rapidly analyze a vast array of macrocyclic peptides, molecules increasingly used in modern medicine. The research, published in Nature Communications, harnesses the familiar brewer's yeast, turning billions of these tiny organisms into miniature fluorescent factories, each capable of creating a unique peptide with potential therapeutic applications. The team includes researchers from Ca' Foscari University of Venice, in collaboration with researchers from Japan, China, Switzerland, and Italy.

• Scientists revive legendary golden sea silk using Korean pen shell byssus

  A luxurious fiber once reserved exclusively for emperors in ancient times has been brought back to life by Korean researchers. A team led by Professor Dong Soo Hwang and Professor Jimin Choi has successfully recreated a golden fiber, akin to that of 2,000 years ago, using the pen shell (Atrina pectinata) cultivated in Korean coastal waters.

• Simulations show why grains in metals and ceramics grow the way they do

  A team of international scientists headed by Prof. Marco Salvalaglio from TUD–Dresden University of Technology has found out that internal stresses—not just interface energy—play a key role in shaping the microstructure of crystalline materials. These findings challenge classical theories and could improve how we design materials for engineering and technology. The results have recently been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

• New system uses sound and terahertz waves to measure blood sodium without needles

  In a new study, researchers demonstrate long-term, non-invasive monitoring of blood sodium levels using a system that combines optoacoustic detection with terahertz spectroscopy. The paper is published in the journal Optica.

• Mapping how proteins bind to silica nanoparticle interactions using biophysics

  Nanoparticles (NPs) are materials whose dimensions range from 1 to 1,000 nanometers (nm). Due to their nano-scale dimensions and tunable material properties, NPs have gained interest in the global scientific community in recent years. Applications of NPs in the field of human health include NP-based drug delivery systems and radioactive probe-linked NPs for medical diagnosis. While significant advancements have been achieved in the design and synthesis of NPs, studies investigating the interactions of NPs with important biological macromolecules like proteins remain limited.

• In-line NMR guides orthogonal transformation of real-life plastics

  The accumulation of plastic waste worldwide poses a serious threat to wildlife and ecosystems. Catalytic processes that convert plastic waste into valuable chemicals and fuels offer a promising solution. However, real-life plastic waste mixtures have highly diverse composition and structural complexity, and accurate identification of the components within the mixtures is a prerequisite for their effective separation and recycling.

• New and highly efficient recycling technology to turn used tires into raw materials for rubber and nylon

  Billions of tires are discarded globally every year, and this is identified as one of the major causes of serious environmental pollution. A research team at KAIST Department of Chemistry has succeeded in selectively converting waste tires into high-purity cyclic alkenes, which are high-value chemical raw materials used as raw materials for rubber or nylon fibers. This is evaluated as a new turning point in the field of waste tire recycling.

• Enzyme-based plastics recycling at an industrial scale could be cost-effective, analysis finds

  A successful collaboration involving a trio of research institutions has yielded a roadmap toward an economically viable process for using enzymes to recycle plastics.

• When electrons 'jump' into water: The secret behind high electrode capacities

  In order to develop improved electrolyzers for regenerative hydrogen production, the processes on the surfaces of the metal electrodes used must be precisely understood. Researchers from the Theory Department at the Fritz Haber Institute have now been able to show that even the smallest spillover of metal electrons into the aqueous electrolyte environment is sufficient to increase the energy storage capacity more than tenfold.

• Decoding thermal behavior in crystals: Insights from thalidomide

  Understanding how molecular arrangements within crystals influence their thermal behavior is a fundamental question in solid-state chemistry. This topic is especially relevant in pharmaceuticals existing as enantiomers, molecules in two forms that are mirror images of one another but cannot be superimposed, which can exhibit distinct physical and chemical properties depending on their crystalline form.

• Hot acetic acid enables full recycling of carbon fiber composite materials

  Deconstructing epoxy resins with hot acetic acid has the potential to provide a scalable and affordable solution for recycling a material used in a range of high-value consumer products, according to new research published in Nature from the Bio-Optimized Technologies to keep Thermoplastics out of Landfills and the Environment (BOTTLE) consortium.