Showing 20 articles starting at article 721
< Previous 20 articles Next 20 articles >
Categories: Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry, Environmental: Wildfires
Published Even as temperatures rise, this hydrogel material keeps absorbing moisture



Engineers find the hydrogel polyethylene glycol (PEG) doubles its water absorption as temperatures climb from 25 to 50 C, and could be useful for passive cooling or water harvesting in warm climates.
Published Chemists propose ultrathin material for doubling solar cell efficiency



Researchers are studying radical new ways to improve solar power and provide more options for the industry to explore. Chemists are proposing to make solar cells using not silicon, but an abundantly available natural material called molybdenum disulfide. Using a creative combination of photoelectrochemical and spectroscopic techniques, the researchers conducted a series of experiments showing that extremely thin films of molybdenum disulfide display unprecedented charge carrier properties that could someday drastically improve solar technologies.
Published Physicists discover transformable nano-scale electronic devices



The nano-scale electronic parts in devices like smartphones are solid, static objects that once designed and built cannot transform into anything else. But physicists have reported the discovery of nano-scale devices that can transform into many different shapes and sizes even though they exist in solid states.
Published Researchers successfully establish a strong mechanical bond of immiscible iron and magnesium



Transport relies heavily on steel. But steel is heavy, and scientists are turning to alternatives to lessen the transportation industry's carbon emissions. Magnesium alloys are one such alternative. But developing bonding technology that bonds magnesium alloys with structural steels has been severely limited because magnesium and iron are immiscible. Now, a research group has established a dealloying bonding technology that obtains a strong mechanical bond between iron and magnesium.
Published Methane from megafires: More spew than we knew



Using a new detection method, scientists found a massive amount of methane, a super-potent greenhouse gas, coming from wildfires -- a source not currently being accounted for by California state air quality managers.
Published Processing data at the speed of light



Scientists have developed an extremely small and fast nano-excitonic transistor.
Published Gentle method allows for eco-friendly recycling of solar cells



By using a new method, precious metals can be efficiently recovered from thin-film solar cells. The method is also more environmentally friendly than previous methods of recycling and paves the way for more flexible and highly efficient solar cells.
Published Chemists redesign biological PHAs, 'dream' biodegradable plastics



They've been called 'dream' plastics: polyhydroxyalkanoates, or PHAs. Already the basis of a fledgling industry, they're a class of polymers naturally created by living microorganisms, or synthetically produced from biorenewable feedstocks. They're biodegradable in the ambient environment, including oceans and soil.
Published Wildfires and animal biodiversity



Wildfires. Many see them as purely destructive forces, disasters that blaze through a landscape, charring everything in their paths. But a new study reminds us that wildfires are also generative forces, spurring biodiversity in their wakes.
Published Luminous molecules



Twisted molecules play an important role in the development of organic light-emitting diodes. A team of chemists has managed to create these compounds with exactly the three-dimensional structure that they wanted. In so doing, they are smoothing the path for new and better light sources.
Published Your fork could someday be made of sugar, wood powders and degrade on-demand



Single-use hard plastics are all around us: utensils, party decorations and food containers, to name a few examples. These items pile up in landfills, and many biodegradable versions stick around for months, requiring industrial composting systems to fully degrade. Now, researchers have created a sturdy, lightweight material that disintegrates on-demand -- and they made it from sugar and wood-derived powders.
Published Pollution monitoring through precise detection of gold nanoparticles in woodlice



Researchers introduce a novel imaging method to detect gold nanoparticles in woodlice. Their method, known as four-wave mixing microscopy, flashes light that the gold nanoparticles absorb. The light flashes again and the subsequent scattering reveals the nanoparticles' locations. With information about the quantity, location, and impact of gold nanoparticles within the organism, scientists can better understand the potential harm other metals may have on nature.
Published Scientists use peroxide to peer into metal oxide reactions



Researchers to get a better look at how peroxides on the surface of copper oxide promote the oxidation of hydrogen but inhibit the oxidation of carbon monoxide, allowing them to steer oxidation reactions.
Published Toward tunable molecular switches from organic compounds



Newly synthesized organic molecules can be tuned to emit different colors depending on their molecular structures in crystal form.
Published New atomic-scale understanding of catalysis could unlock massive energy savings



In an advance they consider a breakthrough in computational chemistry research, chemical engineers have developed a model of how catalytic reactions work at the atomic scale. This understanding could allow engineers and chemists to develop more efficient catalysts and tune industrial processes -- potentially with enormous energy savings, given that 90% of the products we encounter in our lives are produced, at least partially, via catalysis.
Published Long-forgotten equation provides new tool for converting carbon dioxide



To manage atmospheric carbon dioxide and convert the gas into a useful product, scientists have dusted off an archaic -- now 120 years old -- electrochemical equation.
Published Two-dimensional nanoparticles with great potential



A research team has discovered how catalysts and many other nanoplatelets can be produced in an environmentally friendly way from readily available materials and in sufficient quantities.
Published Discovery of ferroelectricity in an elementary substance



Researchers have discovered a new single-element ferroelectric material that alters the current understanding of conventional ferroelectric materials and has future applications in data storage devices.
Published A new type of photonic time crystal gives light a boost



Researchers have developed a way to create photonic time crystals and shown that these bizarre, artificial materials amplify the light that shines on them. These findings could lead to more efficient and robust wireless communications and significantly improved lasers.
Published Opening a new frontier: PdMo intermetallic catalyst for promoting CO2 utilization



A recently discovered catalyst, can convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into useful methanol at room temperature and low-pressure conditions. This novel compound, which is thermally and chemically stable in air, represents a new milestone in CO2 conversion via hydrogenation and could be key to slow down climate change.