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UrduChemists at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and their collaborators have created a highly efficient and long-lasting solar flow battery, a way to generate, store and redeliver renewable electricity from the sun in one device.
Tag: Chemistry
Electrochemical reaction powers new drug discoveries
A Cornell-led collaboration is flipping the switch on traditional synthetic chemistry by using electricity to drive a new chemical reaction that previously stumped chemists who rely on conventional methods.
Turning alcohol into key ingredients for new medicines
Chemists have found a way to turn alcohol into amino acids, the building blocks of life.
ReCell Center could save costly nickel and cobalt, transform battery recycling worldwide
Argonne’s ReCell Center has already made pivotal discoveries as scientists create and test new recycling processes and battery designs. These discoveries will help grow a globally competitive U.S. recycling industry.
Chemists developing paper strip urine test for at-home/office/clinic COVID-19 evaluation
Chemists are developing a paper-strip urine test to detect the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The tests are based on electrokinetics, using electric fields to manipulate charged particles.
Roll over, Aristotle, nature doesn’t always hate a vacuum
The study, published in Nature Chemistry, provides new insights on how to modify the stickiness of these molecular building blocks, allowing engineers to build materials, like gels, from the bottom-up.
Carbon emission from permafrost soils underestimated by 14%
Picture 500 million cars stacked in rows. That’s how much carbon—about 1,000 petagrams, or one billion metric tons—is locked away in Arctic permafrost.
Passing crucial, challenging introductory chemistry course gives biggest boost to underrepresented students
Underrepresented students in STEM received lower grades in a general chemistry series compared to their peers and were less likely to continue. But if underrepresented students completed the first course with at least the minimum grade needed to continue, they were more likely than their peers to do so.
‘Artificial Chemist’ Combines AI, Robotics to Conduct Autonomous R&D
Researchers have developed a technology called “Artificial Chemist,” which incorporates artificial intelligence and an automated system for performing chemical reactions to accelerate R&D and manufacturing of commercially desirable materials.
Scientists Aim Gene-Targeting Breakthrough Against COVID-19
Scientists at Berkeley Lab and Stanford have joined forces to aim a gene-targeting, antiviral agent called PAC-MAN against COVID-19.
Researchers track how bacteria purge toxic metals
Cornell researchers combined genetic engineering, single-molecule tracking and protein quantitation to get a closer look at this mechanism and understand how it functions. The knowledge could lead to the development of more effective antibacterial treatments.
Darrigues selected for competitive postdoctoral research program at UAMS
A University of Arkansas at Little Rock doctoral student has been selected for a highly competitive postdoctoral scholarship at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Emilie Darrigues, a doctoral student in applied science with an emphasis in chemistry who is graduating in May, is one of four students selected for the UAMS Translational Research Institute Health Sciences Innovation and Entrepreneurship Postdoctoral Training Program for its class of 2022.
These tiny, self-assembling traps capture PFAS
A study shows hat self-assembling molecular traps can be used to capture PFAS — dangerous pollutants that have contaminated drinking water supplies around the world.
Helium: An Abundant History and a Shortage Threatening Scientific Tools
Scientists first discovered helium burning on the surface of the sun, but today liquid helium plays an essential role in supercooling scientific equipment. Unfortunately, our complex history with the element has led to a recent shortage that threatens some types of scientific research.
Researchers capture the coordinated dance between electrons and nuclei in a light-excited molecule
Using SLAC’s high-speed “electron camera,” scientists simultaneously captured the movements of electrons and nuclei in a light-excited molecule. This marks the first time this has been done with ultrafast electron diffraction, which scatters a powerful beam of electrons off materials to pick up tiny molecular motions.
Researchers Collaboratively Test Mask Effectiveness to Fight Spread of COVID-19
Faculty members at Texas Tech University and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center are examining both intermediate materials and finished masks from a multidisciplinary approach.
Untangling a key step in photosynthetic oxygen production
Researchers zeroed in on a key step in photosynthesis in which a water molecule moves in to bridge manganese and calcium atoms in the catalytic complex that splits water to produce breathable oxygen. What they learned brings them one step closer to obtaining a complete picture of this natural process, which could inform the next generation of artificial photosynthetic systems that produce clean and renewable energy from sunlight and water. Their results were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences today.
‘Molecular Distancing’ Presents Pathway to Remote Chemical Reactions
The study introduces a generic way of engineering artificial forces between photons and molecules to enable new energy transfer pathways between molecules.
Water is Key in Catalytic Conversion of Methane to Methanol
Scientists reveal new details that explain how a highly selective catalyst converts methane, the main component of natural gas, to methanol, an easy-to-transport liquid fuel and feedstock for making plastics, paints, and other commodity products. The findings could aid the design of even more efficient/selective catalysts to make methane conversion an economically viable and environmentally attractive alternative to venting or flaring “waste” gas.
Polymer membranes could benefit from taking a dip
A new technique developed by a team including researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s Argonne National Laboratory makes atomic layer deposition possible on nearly any membrane.
A Great New Way to Paint 3D-Printed Objects
Rutgers engineers have created a highly effective way to paint complex 3D-printed objects, such as lightweight frames for aircraft and biomedical stents, that could save manufacturers time and money and provide new opportunities to create “smart skins” for printed parts. The findings are published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
Eric Potma: Then and Now
Eric O. Potma is a professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). He holds adjunct positions in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, and in the Beckman Laser Institute at UCI.
Computer simulations explore potential COVID-19 therapeutics
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago recently published a study in the journal ACS Nano that details findings from computer simulations seeking to identify inhibitors, which eventually could assist chemists to develop new medicines to combat the coronavirus.
Uranium, thorium debut in dual aromatic-antiaromatic molecule
Aromaticity and antiaromaticity are important concepts in organic chemistry, helping to define and explain how molecules vary in their stability and reactivity. Researchers previously identified these concepts together in organic biphenylenes. Now, new research has created metallic biphenylenes that incorporate uranium and thorium.
New Macrolactone Database Could Aid Drug Discovery, Research
A new, free-to-use database of 14,000 known macrolactones fills a knowledge gap concerning these molecules and could serve as a useful tool for future drug discovery.
Study describes cocktail of pharmaceuticals in waters in Bangladesh
An analysis revealed that water samples held a cocktail of pharmaceuticals and other compounds, including antibiotics, antifungals, anticonvulsants, anesthetics, antihypertensive drugs, pesticides, flame retardants and more. Not all chemicals were found at every test site.
Meet Christine Ali: Military War Veteran and Chemical Engineer
From setting up fuel stations for the U.S. Army in Iraq to monitoring complex gas-delivery systems at Brookhaven National Laboratory’s National Synchrotron Light Source II, Christine Ali brings a wealth of experience and passion to science. Here’s her story.
CUR’s First Virtual Posters on the Hill Showcases Undergraduate Research to Policymakers, Scholars, and the Public
On April 21, students will participate in the 2020 Posters on the Hill event. This year, because of COVID-19 challenges, undergraduate researchers and faculty mentors from institutions such as Butler University, California State University–Fullerton, and University of Chicago will share their research online.
Foxglove plants produce heart medicine. Can science do it better?
Biologist Zhen Wang’s team recently published a pair of papers detailing characteristics of cardiac glycosides in two foxglove species. “This kind of study is important because we first have to know the accurate structure of natural compounds before we can explore their medicinal effects,” she says.
Illuminating the future of renewable energy
A new chemical compound created by WVU chemists is lighting the way for renewable energy.
Argonne’s researchers and facilities playing a key role in the fight against COVID-19
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.
John Kitchin: Then and Now
John Kitchin is a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.
New $21.4 million U.S.-Israel center aims to develop water-energy technologies
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.
How decades of work at Argonne led to a pivotal moment for U.S. nuclear plants
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.
New material could turn clothing into a health monitor
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.
Michael Dorff (BYU), George C. Shields (Furman U) Honored as 2020 CUR Fellows
Michael Dorff (Brigham Young University) and George C. Shields (Furman University) are the latest Fellows of the Council on Undergraduate Research to be honored for their leadership and service as role models for those involved in undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activities.
Rebecca Lyons named University of Redlands Professor of the Year
The University of Redlands Mortar Board Honor Society has named Rebecca Lyons as Professor of the Year. Lyons, a chemistry professor in the College of Arts and Sciences, has been teaching at the University of Redlands for nine years.
Crystal with a Twist: Researchers Grow Spiraling New Material
Scientists have created new inorganic crystals made of stacks of atomically thin sheets.
Study: Diet Makes a Difference in Fight Against Hospital-Acquired Infection
Popular diets low in carbs and high in fat and protein might be good for the waistline, but a new UNLV study shows that just the opposite may help to alleviate the hospital-acquired infection Clostridioides difficile. The results appeared in a study published Feb. 11 in mSystems, an open access journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
Superior “Bio-Ink” for 3D Printing Pioneered
Rutgers biomedical engineers have developed a “bio-ink” for 3D printed materials that could serve as scaffolds for growing human tissues to repair or replace damaged ones in the body. Their study was published in the journal Biointerphases.
Global Cooling After Nuclear War Would Harm Ocean Life
A nuclear war that cooled Earth could worsen the impact of ocean acidification on corals, clams, oysters and other marine life with shells or skeletons, according to the first study of its kind.
Monitoring Intermediates in CO2 Conversion to Formate by Metal Catalyst
The production of formate from CO2 is considered an attractive strategy for the long-term storage of solar renewable energy in chemical form.
Cheap nanoparticles stimulate immune response to cancer in the lab
University of Wisconsin–Madison researchers have developed nanoparticles that, in the lab, can activate immune responses to cancer cells. If they are shown to work as well in the body as they do in the lab, the nanoparticles might provide an effective and more affordable way to fight cancer.
Rutgers Expert Available to Discuss RNA Discovery
New Brunswick, N.J. (Jan. 29, 2020) – Nearly 30 years after scientists first showed that RNA molecules can act as biological catalysts, researchers at Rutgers have discovered how an important RNA enzyme works in unprecedented detail. The research, led by scientists…
UB chemist awarded $2 million NIH grant for enzyme research
A University at Buffalo-led research team is studying the details of how enzymes perform their job. The focus of the project is on understanding the molecular interactions that enable enzymes to accelerate chemical reactions.
Study finds salt nanoparticles are toxic to cancer cells
A new study at the University of Georgia has found a way to attack cancer cells that is potentially less harmful to the patient.
Study: How U.S. sewage plants can remove medicines from wastewater
A study of seven wastewater treatment plants points to two treatment methods — granular activated carbon and ozonation — as being particularly promising for reducing the concentration of pharmaceuticals including certain antidepressants and antibiotics.
Exploring the “dark side” of a single-crystal complex oxide thin film
A new study offers a nanoscopic view of complex oxides, which have great potential for advanced microelectronics.
Life could have emerged from lakes with high phosphorus
Life as we know it requires phosphorus, which is scarce. How did the early Earth supply this key ingredient? A University of Washington study, published Dec. 30 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, finds answers in certain types of carbonate-rich lakes.
Yuantao Ding: Then and Now
Yuantao Ding is a staff scientist at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.