Feature Channels: Chemistry

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Released: 31-Mar-2020 1:50 PM EDT
On Mars or Earth, biohybrid can turn carbon dioxide into new products
University of California, Berkeley

If humans ever hope to colonize Mars, the settlers will need to manufacture on-planet a huge range of organic compounds, from fuels to drugs, that are too expensive to ship from Earth.

Released: 30-Mar-2020 11:50 AM EDT
Chemist aims at COVID-19 following success with related virus
Case Western Reserve University

A team of scientists, including Case Western Reserve University chemistry Professor Blanton Tolbert and his research lab, are conducting the underlying research to develop an antiviral to slow the spread of novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

   
Released: 27-Mar-2020 5:45 PM EDT
Argonne's researchers and facilities playing a key role in the fight against COVID-19
Argonne National Laboratory

Argonne scientists are working around the clock to analyze the virus to find new treatments and cures, predict how it will propagate through the population, and make sure that our supply chains remain intact.

Released: 27-Mar-2020 9:55 AM EDT
A Chemical Extreme in the Periodic Table Is Revealed
Department of Energy, Office of Science

Understanding how a small, gas-phase molecule containing an actinide atom reacts with other molecules helps us understand the chemistry of heavy elements. This study identified an extreme in the chemical behavior of curium, which lies at the center of the actinide series on the periodic table.

Released: 26-Mar-2020 10:35 AM EDT
Upgrading Biomass with Selective Surface-Modified Catalysts
Brookhaven National Laboratory

Loading single platinum atoms on titanium dioxide promotes the conversion of a plant derivative into a potential biofuel.

Released: 26-Mar-2020 10:05 AM EDT
Scientists electrify aluminum to speed up important process
Ohio State University

Scientists have found a way in the laboratory to shorten the time it takes to create a key chemical used to synthesize a variety of medications, fertilizers and other important substances. The finding could make a number of industrial manufacturing processes cheaper and more efficient. And all it takes, essentially, is electrifying an aluminum container that includes the right chemicals.

Released: 25-Mar-2020 1:55 PM EDT
New Polymers that Close the Loop in Plastics Recycling
Department of Energy, Office of Science

Scientists have designed a recyclable plastic called poly(diketoenamine)s, or PDKs. In contrast to many plastics, scientists can recover and free the monomers of PDK plastic from each other and additives by dunking it in a highly acidic solution. Manufacturers can then reassemble the plastic into a different shape, texture, and color without loss of performance or quality.

20-Mar-2020 11:00 AM EDT
‘Whiskey webs’ are the new ‘coffee ring effect’
American Chemical Society (ACS)

The “coffee ring effect” has fascinated scientists for decades, but a team says they have uncovered the web-like pattern that forms when drops of American whiskey dry up. The results, reported in ACS Nano, suggest that these ‘whiskey webs’ could someday be used to identify counterfeit spirits.

Released: 24-Mar-2020 3:05 PM EDT
Resolving the self-interaction correction paradox in molecular modeling
Department of Energy, Office of Science

Nearly all computer models of molecules and materials are based on density functional theory (DFT) approximations. Several methods exist for correcting self-interaction error in DFT approximations that work well for some chemical arrangements but not others. A new method removes self-interaction errors without hurting accuracy.

Released: 24-Mar-2020 11:30 AM EDT
A new ‘gold standard’ for safer ceramic coatings
American Chemical Society (ACS)

Scientists report progress toward a new type of ceramic glaze that includes gold and silver nanoparticles, which are less toxic and more environmentally friendly, while still providing vibrant colors. The researchers are presenting their results through the ACS SciMeetings online platform.

Released: 23-Mar-2020 11:15 PM EDT
Wichita State University chemist working to develop antiviral drugs in fight against COVID-19
Wichita State University

Up until recently, COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) may have been a relatively new phenomena to the general public, but Wichita State University medical chemist Bill Groutas, two virologists from Kansas State University, and a physician/virologist from the University of Iowa have been working on a cure for coronaviruses for more than three years.

   
Released: 23-Mar-2020 2:35 PM EDT
ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers may increase the risk of severe COVID-19
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center - New Orleans

James Diaz, MD, MHA, MPH & TM, Dr PH, Professor and Head of Environmental Health Sciences at LSU Health New Orleans School of Public Health, has proposed a possible explanation for the severe lung complications being seen in some people diagnosed with COVID-19.

Released: 23-Mar-2020 8:05 AM EDT
Science Snapshots from Berkeley Lab
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

March 2020 Science Snapshots from Berkeley Lab

Released: 20-Mar-2020 11:55 AM EDT
Coronavirus SARS-CoV2: BESSY II data accelerate drug development
Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin for Materialien und Energie

Teams around the world are working hard to develop active substances against SARS-CoV-2.

   
Released: 20-Mar-2020 11:50 AM EDT
Atomic Defect Lines Suppress Deactivation of Iron Oxide Catalysts
Brookhaven National Laboratory

A structure based on the low-cost, earth-abundant metal iron may be active enough to promote desired reactions without becoming “poisoned.”

Released: 19-Mar-2020 3:05 PM EDT
Flooding the Sky: Navigating the Science of Atmospheric Rivers
Department of Energy, Office of Science

Probing observations, satellite data, and climate models, scientists supported by the DOE’s Office of Science are exploring atmospheric rivers’ role in the water and climate cycles. But navigating through the data proved to be trickier than the scientists expected.

Released: 19-Mar-2020 2:55 PM EDT
John Kitchin: Then and Now
Department of Energy, Office of Science

John Kitchin is a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

Released: 18-Mar-2020 3:55 PM EDT
Closing the carbon cycle to stop climate change
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR)

An excessive amount of carbon dioxide is the main cause of climate change. One of the best approaches is to capture and convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into fuel such as methane.

Released: 18-Mar-2020 2:05 PM EDT
An advance in molecular moviemaking reveals the subtle, complex ways a simple molecule can shimmy and fly apart
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

Researchers observed atomic nuclei moving over distances of less than an angstrom in less than a trillionth of a second -- a level of resolution that can only be achieved with an X-ray free-electron laser.

Released: 18-Mar-2020 11:55 AM EDT
New Argonne 3D printing method could transform recycling material behind vital medical isotope
Argonne National Laboratory

For the first time in the U.S., Argonne scientists have used 3D printing to scale up the recycling of the precursors of an important medical isotope.

13-Mar-2020 11:15 AM EDT
Fish scales could make wearable electronics more sustainable
American Chemical Society (ACS)

New research in ACS Nano describes a way to make flexible temporary electronic displays from fish scales.

Released: 12-Mar-2020 12:05 PM EDT
Mercury’s 400 C Heat May Help It Make Its Own Ice
Georgia Institute of Technology

Despite Mercury's 400 C daytime heat, there is ice at its caps, and now a study shows how that Vulcan scorch probably helps the planet closest to the sun make some of that ice.

Released: 12-Mar-2020 9:30 AM EDT
Rapid Diagnosis Test for Coronavirus COVID-19 Now Available
Surgisphere Corporation

Surgisphere Corporation announces the availability of a rapid diagnostic tool for novel coronavirus.

   
Released: 11-Mar-2020 4:50 PM EDT
New $21.4 million U.S.-Israel center aims to develop water-energy technologies
Argonne National Laboratory

A U.S.-Israel team that includes researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory has received $21.4 million to develop new technologies to help solve global water challenges.

Released: 11-Mar-2020 2:35 PM EDT
How decades of work at Argonne led to a pivotal moment for U.S. nuclear plants
Argonne National Laboratory

Severe accident research at Argonne Lab helped the nuclear power industry ensure safety while avoiding $1 billion in unnecessary costs in the wake of the Fukushima disaster.

Released: 11-Mar-2020 8:55 AM EDT
Wood-based catalyst to keep fruit fresh
Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology

If different types of vegetables and fruits are stored together, they influence each other in the ripening process. This is due to ethylene, which is emitted by some plant-based foodstuff and accelerates ripening. To prevent excessive food waste due to accelerated ripening Empa and ETH Zurich researchers are developing a new catalyst that degrades ethylene into water and carbon dioxide.

Released: 9-Mar-2020 12:10 PM EDT
Researchers map protein motion
Cornell University

Cornell structural biologists took a new approach to using a classic method of X-ray analysis to capture something the conventional method had never accounted for: the collective motion of proteins. And they did so by creating software to painstakingly stitch together the scraps of data that are usually disregarded in the process.

Released: 6-Mar-2020 11:35 AM EST
Resurrecting Ancient Protein Partners Reveals Origin of Protein Regulation
Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)

After reconstructing the ancient forms of two cellular proteins, scientists discovered the earliest known instance of a complex form of protein regulation.

Released: 5-Mar-2020 6:50 PM EST
Argonne’s pioneering user facility to add magic number factory
Argonne National Laboratory

A forthcoming N = 126 Factory will investigate one of the great questions in physics and chemistry: how were the heavy elements from iron to uranium created?

Released: 4-Mar-2020 4:25 PM EST
Zombie scanning enables researchers to rapidly study peptide-receptor interactions on the cell surface
University of California, Irvine

In the past, biologically-active peptides – small proteins like neurotoxins and hormones that act on cell receptors to alter physiology – were purified from native sources like venoms and then panels of variants were produced in bacteria, or synthesized, to study the structural basis for receptor interaction. A new technique called zombie scanning renders these older processes obsolete.

Released: 4-Mar-2020 3:55 PM EST
New material could turn clothing into a health monitor
University of Houston

Researchers have reported a new material, pliable enough to be woven into fabric but imbued with sensing capabilities that can serve as an early warning system for injury or illness.

Released: 4-Mar-2020 3:30 PM EST
‘Triangle 2’ plastic containers may see environmental makeover
Cornell University

Cornell chemists can demonstrate how to make high-density polyethylene with better control over polymer chain lengths, which allows for improvement over physical properties such as processability and strength, according to research published Dec. 27, 2019, in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Released: 4-Mar-2020 2:55 PM EST
Researchers pinpoint mechanism controlling cell protein traffic
Cornell University

Cells depend on signaling to regulate most life processes, including cell growth and differentiation, immune response and reactions to various stresses.

Released: 4-Mar-2020 8:20 AM EST
Energy researchers invent error-free catalysts
University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering

A team of researchers from the University of Minnesota, University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of Delaware, and University of California Santa Barbara have invented oscillating catalyst technology that can accelerate chemical reactions without errors. The groundbreaking technology can be incorporated into hundreds of industrial chemical technologies to reduce waste by thousands of tons each year while improving the performance and cost-efficiency of materials production.

2-Mar-2020 11:10 AM EST
Advances in Computer Modeling, Protein Development Propel Cellular Engineering
American Institute of Physics (AIP)

A review of recent work in biophysics highlights efforts in cellular engineering, ranging from proteins to cellular components to tissues grown on next-generation chips. Author Ngan Huang said the fast pace of development prompted her and her colleagues to take stock of promising areas in the field as well as hurdles researchers can expect in coming years. They discuss their work in this week’s APL Bioengineering.

Released: 3-Mar-2020 8:50 AM EST
Atomic-scale imaging reveals secret to thin film strength
University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering

An international team of scientists and engineers have made a discovery that could further advance the use of ultra-thin zeolite nanosheets, which are used as specialized molecular filters. The discovery could improve efficiency in the production of gasoline, plastics, and biofuels.

Released: 3-Mar-2020 8:30 AM EST
Designing plastic to break down in the ocean is possible, but is it practical?
Penn State Institute for Computational and Data Sciences

In a study, the researchers used a machine learning algorithm to classify more than 110 types of plastics, including commercial and lab-made varieties, to better understand how they might degrade in the ocean.

Released: 2-Mar-2020 4:25 PM EST
MTU Engineers Zap and Unstick Underwater Smart Glue
Michigan Technological University

Turning adhesion on and off is what makes a glue smart. Inspired by nature, catechols are synthetic compounds that mimic the wet-but-still-sticky proteins found in mussel feet and offer promise for underwater glue, wound dressings, prosthetic attachments or even making car parts and in other manufacturing. A Michigan Tech team has used electricity for the first time to deactivate a catechol-containing adhesive in salt water.

Released: 2-Mar-2020 10:05 AM EST
Gold in Limbo Between Solid and Melted States
Brookhaven National Laboratory

Laser-induced melting occurs nonuniformly in polycrystalline gold thin films—a finding that may be important for precision part micromachining.

Released: 27-Feb-2020 2:10 PM EST
Polymers get caught up in love-hate chemistry of oil and water
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee achieved a rare look at the inner workings of polymer self-assembly at an oil-water interface to advance materials for neuromorphic computing and bio-inspired technologies.

Released: 27-Feb-2020 12:45 PM EST
PECASE Honoree Michael Boyce on Sugar's Role in Cell Signaling and on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Scientific Workforce
NIH, National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

Sugars are the body’s primary energy source, but they also play signaling roles in the cell by acting as tags on proteins and lipids. NIGMS grantee and Presidential award recipient Michael Boyce discusses the importance of these sugar tags and their role in disease, as well as his efforts toward diversity, equity, and inclusion in the scientific workforce.

   
Released: 27-Feb-2020 10:15 AM EST
The cold-start dilemma
Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology

With hybrid cars and plug-in hybrids, cold starts occur more frequently when the internal combustion engine stops and the electric motor pushes the car through town. How quickly can the catalytic converter be preheated so that it can still clean exhaust gases well? What would be the method of choice? A team of Empa researchers is investigating.

24-Feb-2020 12:45 PM EST
How Resident Microbes Restructure Body Chemistry
UC San Diego Health

A comparison of normal and germ-free mice revealed that as much as 70 percent of a mouse’s gut chemistry is determined by its gut microbiome. Even in distant organs, such as the uterus or the brain, approximately 20 percent of molecules were different in the mice with gut microbes.

   
Released: 26-Feb-2020 10:40 AM EST
Columbia team discovers new way to control the phase of light using 2D materials
Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Science

Columbia University researchers announced that they have discovered a new way to control the phase of light using 2D materials--atomically thin materials, ∼ 0.8 nanometer, or 1/100000 the size of a human hair--without changing its amplitude, at extremely low electrical power dissipation.

21-Feb-2020 9:00 AM EST
Comparing greenhouse gas footprints of online versus traditional shopping
American Chemical Society (ACS)

In a study in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology, researchers estimated that shopping at brick-and-mortar stores for personal/home care products produces less greenhouse gas than one type of online shopping, but more than another.

Released: 25-Feb-2020 1:25 PM EST
When Bonding Noble Metals to 2D Materials, Interfaces Matter
Penn State Materials Research Institute

Researchers at Penn State and Purdue University have developed new materials for improved single-atom catalysis and future electronics.

Released: 24-Feb-2020 2:10 PM EST
Valentino Cooper: Building foundations for solid science
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Valentino Cooper of Oak Ridge National Laboratory uses theory, modeling and computation to improve fundamental understanding of advanced materials for next-generation energy and information technologies.

20-Feb-2020 1:15 PM EST
Shaping the rings of molecules
Universite de Montreal

Canadian chemists discover a natural process to control the shape of "macrocycles," molecules of large rings of atoms, for use in pharmaceuticals and electronics.

Released: 19-Feb-2020 2:55 PM EST
Chemists use mass spectrometry tools to determine age of fingerprints
Iowa State University

Chemists at Iowa State may have solved a puzzle of forensic science: How do you determine the age of a fingerprint? The chemists used mass spectrometry tools to analyze fingerprints and found clues in the fatty oils within the prints. And that could help tie a suspect to a crime scene.



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