Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Energy: Nuclear Environmental: General Physics: General Physics: Optics
Published

Nuclear spectroscopy breakthrough could rewrite the fundamental constants of nature      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Raising the energy state of an atom's nucleus using a laser, or exciting it, would enable development of the most accurate atomic clocks ever to exist. This has been hard to do because electrons, which surround the nucleus, react easily with light, increasing the amount of light needed to reach the nucleus. By causing the electrons to bond with fluorine in a transparent crystal, UCLA physicists have finally succeeded in exciting the neutrons in a thorium atom's nucleus using a moderate amount of laser light. This accomplishment means that measurements of time, gravity and other fields that are currently performed using atomic electrons can be made with orders of magnitude higher accuracy.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Physics: Optics
Published

Optoelectronics gain spin control from chiral perovskites and III-V semiconductors      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A research effort has made advances that could enable a broader range of currently unimagined optoelectronic devices.

Biology: Biochemistry Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Melanin from cuttlefish ink as a sustainable biomass resource      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Melanin is a ubiquitous compound in nature, produced by many organisms. However, its potential as a biomass resource to produce value-added chemicals and materials remains relatively unexplored. In a recent study, researchers investigated the chemical decomposition of melanin derived from cuttlefish ink and showcased its application in the synthesis of biopolymer films and particles. Their efforts will hopefully pave the way to the adoption of melanin upcycling.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Synthetic fuels and chemicals from CO2: Ten experiments in parallel      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Why do just one experiment at a time when you can do ten? Researchers have developed an automated system, which allows them to research catalysts, electrodes, and reaction conditions for CO2 electrolysis up to ten times faster. The system is complemented by an open-source software for data analysis.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry
Published

New materials: Synthetic pathway for promising nitride compounds discovered      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Chemists have successfully synthesized Ruddlesden-Popper nitrides for the first time, opening the door to new materials with unique properties.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry
Published

Aromatic compounds: A ring made up solely of metal atoms      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The term aromaticity is a basic, long-standing concept in chemistry that is well established for ring-shaped carbon compounds. Aromatic rings consisting solely of metal atoms were, however, heretofore unknown. A research team recently succeeded in isolating such a metal ring and describing it in full.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry
Published

Scientists use computational modeling to guide a difficult chemical synthesis      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have discovered a new way to drive chemical reactions that could generate a wide variety of azetidines -- four-membered nitrogen heterocycles that have desirable pharmaceutical properties.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology Physics: General Physics: Optics
Published

A new study highlights potential of ultrafast laser processing for next-gen devices      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new study uncovers the remarkable potential of ultrafast lasers that could provide innovative solutions in 2D materials processing for many technology developers such as high-speed photodetectors, flexible electronics, biohybrids, and next-generation solar cells.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Physics: Optics
Published

An optical lens that senses gas      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A research team has developed a small optical lens, only a few millimeters in size, whose refractive behavior changes in the presence of gas. This 'intelligent' behavior of the micro-lens is enabled by the hybrid glass material from which it is made. The molecular structure of the lens consists of a three-dimensional lattice with cavities that can accommodate gas molecules, thereby affecting the optical properties of the material.

Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Biotechnology Biology: Cell Biology Biology: General Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Ecology: Sea Life Environmental: General Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Towards non-toxic antifouling agents: A novel method for total synthesis of scabrolide F      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Norcembranolide diterpenes, isolated from the soft corals of the genus Sinularia, are important compounds for the development of new drugs, owing to their diverse biological activities. However, total synthesis methods for these compounds are scarce. Now, a team of researchers has achieved the total synthesis of scabrolide F, a norcembranolide diterpene. They also revealed its non-toxic antifouling properties. This novel method can lead to the development of new drugs and antifouling agents.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Environmental: Wildfires
Published

Wildfires increasingly threaten oil and gas drill sites, compounding potential health risks      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

More than 100,000 oil and gas wells across the western U.S. are in areas burned by wildfires in recent decades, a new study has found, and some 3 million people live next to wells that in the future could be in the path of fires worsened by climate change.

Ecology: General Ecology: Invasive Species Ecology: Nature Ecology: Research Ecology: Trees Environmental: Ecosystems Environmental: General Environmental: Wildfires
Published

Fuel treatments reduce future wildfire severity      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

There is a common belief that prescribed burning, thinning trees, and clearing underbrush reduce risks of the severity of future fires. But is that true? A new project analyzing 40 studies where wildfire burned into different vegetation treatments, spanning 11 western states. Researchers found overwhelming evidence that in seasonally dry mixed conifer forests in the western U.S., reducing surface and ladder fuels and tree density through thinning, coupled with prescribed burning or pile burning, could reduce future wildfire severity by more than 60% relative to untreated areas.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Physics: General Physics: Optics
Published

Novel application of optical tweezers: Colorfully showing molecular energy transfer      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Using a novel non-contact approach, a research team has successfully controlled the speed and efficiency of Forster resonance energy transfer between fluorescent molecules by varying the intensity of a laser beam.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry
Published

Novel catalysts for improved methanol production using carbon dioxide dehydrogenation      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Encapsulating copper nanoparticles within hydrophobic porous silicate crystals has been shown to significantly enhance the catalytic activity of copper-zinc oxide catalysts used in methanol synthesis via CO2 hydrogenation. The innovative encapsulation structure effectively inhibits the thermal aggregation of copper particles, leading to enhanced hydrogenation activity and increased methanol production. This breakthrough paves the way for more efficient methanol synthesis from CO2.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Offbeat: General
Published

Researchers create new class of materials called 'glassy gels'      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have created a new class of materials called 'glassy gels' that are very hard and difficult to break despite containing more than 50% liquid. Coupled with the fact that glassy gels are simple to produce, the material holds promise for a variety of applications.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Mathematics: Modeling Physics: Optics
Published

Custom-made molecules designed to be invisible while absorbing near-infrared light      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers used theoretical calculations assessing electron orbital symmetry to synthesize new molecule designed to be both transparent and colorless while absorbing near-infrared light. This compound demonstrates the first systematic approach to producing such materials and have applications in advanced electronics. This compound also shows semiconducting properties.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Energy: Batteries Physics: Optics
Published

MXenes for energy storage      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new method in spectromicroscopy significantly improves the study of chemical reactions at the nanoscale, both on surfaces and inside layered materials. Scanning X-ray microscopy (SXM) at MAXYMUS beamline of BESSY II enables the investigation of chemical species adsorbed on the top layer (surface) or intercalated within the MXene electrode (bulk) with high chemical sensitivity.