What can we do about all the plastic waste?

The Institute for the Cooperative Upcycling of Plastics (iCOUP) is helping to address the plastic waste accumulation problem by developing the science needed to turn used plastic into valuable materials.

Entrepreneurship program at Argonne National Laboratory opens applications for startups

Chain Reaction Innovations, the entrepreneurship program at Argonne National Laboratory, is accepting applications for its next fellowship cohort.

Argonne researchers win four 2022 R&D 100 awards

R&D Magazine has recognized four Argonne projects with R&D 100 Awards.

NTU Singapore scientists develop tougher, safer bicycle helmets using new plastic material

As cities worldwide expand their networks of cycling paths and more cyclists take to the streets, the chances of cycling accidents and potential collisions increase as well, underscoring the need for proper cycling safety in dense urban areas. According to…

‘Wrapping’ anodes in 3D carbon nanosheets: The next big thing in li-ion battery technology

Study finds that anchoring manganese selenide nanoparticles, an anode material, in 3D carbon nanosheets prevents their expansion in lithium-ion batteries

Smartphone screens effective sensors for soil or water contamination

The touchscreen technology used in billions of smartphones and tablets could also be used as a powerful sensor, without the need for any modifications. Researchers from the University of Cambridge have demonstrated how a typical touchscreen could be used to…

Press registration opens for ACS Fall 2021 meeting

WASHINGTON, July 15, 2021 — Journalists who register for the fall meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS) will have access to more than 7,000 presentations on topics including agriculture and food, energy and fuels, health and medicine, space science,…

Chemical reactions break free from energy barriers using flyby trajectories

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new study shows that it is possible to use mechanical force to deliberately alter chemical reactions and increase chemical selectivity – a grand challenge of the field. The study led by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researcher…

Sweet spot for membrane thickness offers sustainable separations

Super-thin carbon molecular sieve (CMS) membranes may not be best for separating industrially important chemical mixtures. However, ensuring the CMS film thickness is just right could enable more energy-efficient purification of chemical products, KAUST researchers have shown. CMS membranes, as…

Hybrid enzyme catalysts synthesized by a de novo approach for expanding biocatalysis

The two major challenges in industrial enzymatic catalysis are the limited number of chemical reaction types that are catalyzed by enzymes and the instability of enzymes under harsh conditions in industrial catalysis. Expanding enzyme catalysis to a larger substrate scope…

Is global plastic pollution nearing an irreversible tipping point?

Common press release: Stockholm University, Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research

Editors of MIT Technology Review name Argonne’s Jie Xu as a 2021 Innovator Under 35

The editors of MIT Technology Review have chosen Argonne’s Jie Xu as an Innovator Under 35 for 2021. She is one of only 35 innovators under the age of 35 named to this list. She is being recognized for her research on printable skin-like electronics.

This crystal impurity is sheer perfection

Scientists at Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley have developed a nanoparticle composite that grows into 3D crystals. The new 3D-grown material could speed up production and eliminate errors in the mass manufacturing of nanoscale photonics for smart buildings or actuators for robotics.

Pioneering chemistry approach could lead to more robust soft electronics

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. — A new approach to studying conjugated polymers made it possible for an Army-funded research team to measure, for the first time, the individual molecules’ mechanical and kinetic properties during polymerization reaction. The insights gained could…

Particles with ‘eyes’ allow a closer look at rotational dynamics

Tokyo, Japan – Colloids–mixtures of particles made from one substance, dispersed in another substance–crop up in numerous areas of everyday life, including cosmetics, food and dyes, and form important systems within our bodies. Understanding the behavior of colloids therefore has…

Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists announces the finalists of 2021

The Blavatnik Family Foundation and the New York Academy of Sciences today named 31 Finalists for the world’s largest unrestricted prize honoring early-career scientists and engineers

‘Vegan spider silk’ provides sustainable alternative to single-use plastics

Researchers have created a plant-based, sustainable, scalable material that could replace single-use plastics in many consumer products. The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, created a polymer film by mimicking the properties of spider silk, one of the strongest materials…

New way to 3D-print custom medical devices to boost performance and bacterial resistance

Using a new 3D printing process, University of Nottingham researchers have discovered how to tailor-make artificial body parts and other medical devices with built-in functionality that offers better shape and durability, while cutting the risk of bacterial infection at the…

Bacteria-sized robots take on microplastics and win by breaking them down

Small pieces of plastic are everywhere, stretching from urban environments to pristine wilderness. Left to their own devices, it can take hundreds of years for them to degrade completely. Catalysts activated by sunlight could speed up the process, but getting…

Online ‘library of properties’ helps to create safer nanomaterials

Researchers have developed a ‘library of properties’ to help identify the environmental impact of nanomaterials faster and more cost effectively. Whilst nanomaterials have benefited a wide range of industries and revolutionised everyday life, there are concerns over potential adverse effects…

Bioinspired acid-catalyzed C2 prenylation of indole derivatives

Terpenoids are omnipresent in almost all living organisms. Prenylated indoles are prominent representatives that usually display potent medicinal properties (e.g. tryprostatin B). Therefore, significant efforts have been devoted to indole prenylation over the past decades. The known protocols often require…

First cells reprogrammed to make synthetic polymers; also making them resistant to viruses

Scientists create cells – with a synthetic genome – and instruct them to make polymers from artificial building blocks for the first time; the new bacteria are also resistant to viral infections

Nanofibrous filters for PM2.5 filtration

In a paper published in NANO , the author reviewed many kinds of nanofibrous filters including the component, preparation process, and application performances to provide directional guidance for improvement of the air purification field. Poor air quality is worldwide recognized…