Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Computer Science: Quantum Computers Engineering: Graphene Physics: General Physics: Optics Physics: Quantum Computing Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Researchers add a 'twist' to classical material design      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers grew a twisted multilayer crystal structure for the first time and measured the structure's key properties. The twisted structure could help researchers develop next-generation materials for solar cells, quantum computers, lasers and other devices.

Archaeology: General Biology: Biochemistry Biology: Evolutionary Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Extinction Ecology: Invasive Species Paleontology: Climate Paleontology: Fossils Paleontology: General
Published

Ancient brown bear genomes sheds light on Ice Age losses and survival      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

The brown bear is one of the largest living terrestrial carnivores, and is widely distributed across the Northern Hemisphere. Unlike many other large carnivores that went extinct at the end of the last Ice Age (cave bear, sabretoothed cats, cave hyena), the brown bear is one of the lucky survivors that made it through to the present. The question has puzzled biologists for close to a century -- how was this so?

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

Hacking DNA to make next-gen materials      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have developed a universal method for producing a wide variety of designed metallic and semiconductor 3D nanostructures -- the potential base materials for next-generation semiconductor devices, neuromorphic computing, and advanced energy applications. The new method, which uses a 'hacked' form of DNA that instructs molecules to organize themselves into targeted 3D patterns, is the first of its kind to produce robust nanostructures from multiple material classes.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Oceanography Geoscience: Severe Weather Paleontology: Climate
Published

New tool predicts flood risk from hurricanes in a warming climate      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new method predicts how much flooding a coastal community is likely to experience as hurricanes evolve due to climate change. Using New York as a test case, the model predicts Hurricane Sandy-level flooding will occur roughly every 30 years by 2099.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Chemistry: Organic Chemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published

New sustainable method for creating organic semiconductors      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed a new, more environmentally friendly way to create conductive inks for use in organic electronics such as solar cells, artificial neurons, and soft sensors. The findings pave the way for future sustainable technology.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry
Published

New reagent improves the process of making sulfur-containing compounds that may be used in medicines      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers describe their development of a new reagent that allows a more efficient approach to make sulfoximines, sulfonimidoyl fluorides and sulfonimidamides that may be used in medicines.

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

Scientists advance affordable, sustainable solution for flat-panel displays and wearable tech      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists have developed 'supramolecular ink,' a new 3D-printable OLED (organic light-emitting diode) material made of inexpensive, Earth-abundant elements instead of costly scarce metals. The advance could enable more affordable and environmentally sustainable OLED flat-panel displays as well as 3D-printable wearable technologies and lighting.

Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology
Published

Plumber's nightmare structure in block polymers      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Scientists solve a long-standing block copolymer research conundrum through polymer chain end modifications. The study garners substantial academic attention by achieving tangible manifestations of intricate polymer structures that were previously solely theoretical.

Environmental: General Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry Geoscience: Geography Geoscience: Oceanography Paleontology: Climate
Published

Ice age could help predict oceans' response to global warming      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new way to measure the ocean oxygen level and its connections with carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere during the last ice age could help explain the role oceans played in past glacial melting cycles and improve predictions of how ocean carbon cycles will respond to global warming.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry
Published

Clutch-stack-driven molecular gears in crystals could propel material innovation      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Temperature-controlled, reversible shifting of molecular gear motion in a solid crystal opens new possibilities for material design.

Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology Offbeat: Computers and Math Offbeat: General Physics: Optics
Published

Researchers create faster and cheaper way to print tiny metal structures with light      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed a light-based means of printing nano-sized metal structures that is 480 times faster and 35 times cheaper than the current conventional method. It is a scalable solution that could transform a scientific field long reliant on technologies that are prohibitively expensive and slow. Their method is called superluminescent light projection (SLP).

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Engineering: Nanotechnology Offbeat: General
Published

DNA becomes our 'hands' to construct advanced nanoparticle materials      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A new paper describes a significant leap forward in assembling polyhedral nanoparticles. The researchers introduce and demonstrate the power of a novel synthetic strategy that expands possibilities in metamaterial design. These are the unusual materials that underpin 'invisibility cloaks' and ultrahigh-speed optical computing systems.

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

Chemical synthesis: New strategy for skeletal editing on pyridines      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

A team has introduced a strategy for converting carbon-nitrogen atom pairs in a frequently used ring-shaped compound into carbon-carbon atom pairs. The method has potential in the quest for active ingredients for new drugs, for example.

Chemistry: Biochemistry Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Physics: General Physics: Quantum Physics
Published

Unlocking the secrets of quasicrystal magnetism: Revealing a novel magnetic phase diagram      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Non-Heisenberg-type approximant crystals have many interesting properties and are intriguing for researchers of condensed matter physics. However, their magnetic phase diagrams, which are crucial for realizing their potential, remain completely unknown. Now, a team of researchers has constructed the magnetic phase diagram of a non-Heisenberg Tsai-type 1/1 gold-gallium-terbium approximant crystal. This development marks a significant step forward for quasicrystal research and for the realization of magnetic refrigerators and spintronic devices.

Chemistry: General Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry Energy: Alternative Fuels Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Environmental Issues Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published

Efficiently moving urea out of polluted water is coming to reality      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Researchers have developed a material to remove urea from water and potentially convert it into hydrogen gas. By building these materials of nickel and cobalt atoms with carefully tailored electronic structures, the group has unlocked the potential to enable these transition metal oxides and hydroxides to selectively oxidize urea in an electrochemical reaction. The team's findings could help use urea in waste streams to efficiently produce hydrogen fuel through the electrolysis process, and could be used to sequester urea from water, maintaining the long-term sustainability of ecological systems, and revolutionizing the water-energy nexus.

Ecology: Endangered Species Ecology: Nature Environmental: Biodiversity Environmental: General Environmental: Water Geoscience: Earth Science Geoscience: Environmental Issues Paleontology: Climate
Published

The heat is on: Scientists discover southern Africa's temps will rise past the rhinos' tolerance      (via sciencedaily.com)     Original source 

Southern Africa contains the vast majority of the world's remaining populations of both black and white rhinoceroses (80% and 92%, respectively). The region's climate is changing rapidly as a result global warming. Traditional conservation efforts aimed at protecting rhinos have focused on poaching, but until now, there has been no analysis of the impact that climate change may have on the animals. A research team has recently reported that, though the area will be affected by both higher temperatures and changing precipitation, the rhinos are more sensitive to rising temperatures, which will quickly increase above the animals' acceptable maximum threshold.