Showing 20 articles starting at article 1
Categories: Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry, Offbeat: Computers and Math
Published Kagome superconductor makes waves



Superconductivity theory proposed by physics team validated in international experiment: Cooper pairs display wave-like distribution in Kagome metals, enabling new technological applications like superconducting diodes.
Published Toward a code-breaking quantum computer



Building on a landmark algorithm, researchers propose a way to make a smaller and more noise-tolerant quantum factoring circuit for cryptography.
Published AI tackles one of the most difficult challenges in quantum chemistry



New research using neural networks, a form of brain-inspired AI, proposes a solution to the tough challenge of modelling the states of molecules.
Published Physicists shine new light on ultra-fast atomic processes



Scientists report incredibly small time delays in a molecule's electron activity when the particles are exposed to X-rays. To measure these tiny high-speed events, known as attoseconds, researchers used a laser to generate intense X-ray flashes that allowed them to map the inner workings of an atom.
Published Engineers design lookalike drug carrier to evade lung's lines of defense



Managing hard-to-treat respiratory illnesses like asthma and pulmonary fibrosis just got easier if a new drug-carrying molecule is as sneaky as its inventors think.
Published DNA tech offers both data storage and computing functions



Researchers have demonstrated a technology capable of a suite of data storage and computing functions -- repeatedly storing, retrieving, computing, erasing or rewriting data -- that uses DNA rather than conventional electronics. Previous DNA data storage and computing technologies could complete some but not all of these tasks.
Published Catalyst for 'one-step' conversion of methane to methanol



Scientists have engineered a highly selective catalyst that can convert methane, a major component of natural gas, into methanol, an easily transportable liquid fuel, in a single, one-step reaction. This direct process for methane-to-methanol conversion runs at a temperature lower than required to make tea and exclusively produces methanol without additional byproducts.
Published Hydrogels can play Pong by 'remembering' previous patterns of electrical simulation



Non-living hydrogels can play the video game Pong and improve their gameplay with more experience, researchers report. The researchers hooked hydrogels up to a virtual game environment and then applied a feedback loop between the hydrogel's paddle -- encoded by the distribution of charged particles within the hydrogel -- and the ball's position -- encoded by electrical stimulation. With practice, the hydrogel's accuracy improved by up to 10%, resulting in longer rallies. The researchers say that this demonstrates the ability of non-living materials to use 'memory' to update their understanding of the environment, though more research is needed before it could be said that hydrogels can 'learn.'
Published Extraterrestrial chemistry with earthbound possibilities



Who are we? Why are we here? We are stardust, the result of chemistry occurring throughout vast clouds of interstellar gas and dust. To better understand how that chemistry could create prebiotic molecules, researchers investigated the role of low-energy electrons created as cosmic radiation traverses through ice particles. Their findings may also inform medical and environmental applications on our home planet.
Published Chalk-based coating creates a cooling fabric



In the scorching heat of summer, anyone who spends time outside could benefit from a cooling fabric. While there are some textiles that reflect the sun's rays or wick heat away, current options require boutique fibers or complex manufacturing processes. But now, demonstrations of a durable chalk-based coating show it can cool the air underneath treated fabric by up to 8 degrees Fahrenheit.
Published First visualization of valence electrons reveals fundamental nature of chemical bonding



The distribution of outermost shell electrons, known as valence electrons, of organic molecules was observed for the first time. As the interactions between atoms are governed by the valence electrons, the findings shine light on the fundamental nature of chemical bonds, with implications for pharmacy and chemical engineering.
Published Quality control: Neatly arranging crystal growth to make fine thin films



Researchers have succeeded in forming metal-organic framework thin films on a substrate while controlling the growth direction of crystals so that they are arranged neatly without gaps. The resulting thin films of unprecedented high quality can be expected for use as optical sensors, optical elements, and transparent gas adsorption sheets.
Published Beetle that pushes dung with the help of 100 billion stars unlocks the key to better navigation systems in drones and satellites



An insect species that evolved 130 million years ago is the inspiration for a new research study to improve navigation systems in drones, robots, and orbiting satellites.
Published Unlocking the last lanthanide



A team of scientists was recently able to observe how promethium forms chemical bonds when placed in an aqueous solution.
Published Engineered Bacteria make thermally stable plastics similar to polystyrene and PET



Bioengineers around the world have been working to create plastic-producing microbes that could replace the petroleum-based plastics industry. Now, researchers have overcome a major hurdle: getting bacteria to produce polymers that contain ring-like structures, which make the plastics more rigid and thermally stable. Because these molecules are usually toxic to microorganisms, the researchers had to construct a novel metabolic pathway that would enable the E. coli bacteria to both produce and tolerate the accumulation of the polymer and the building blocks it is composed of. The resulting polymer is biodegradable and has physical properties that could lend it to biomedical applications such as drug delivery, though more research is needed.
Published Molecular wires with a twist



Researchers have developed molecular wires with periodic twists. By controlling the lengths of regions between twists, the electrical conductivity of individual polymer chains can be enhanced. This work may lead to novel organic electronics or single-molecule wires.
Published A new reaction to enhance aromatic ketone use in chemical synthesis



Researchers develop a one pot process to transform aromatic ketones to esters, offering advancements in pharmaceutical synthesis and materials science.
Published Investigating the interplay of folding and aggregation in supramolecular polymer systems



Scientists have developed photoresponsive supramolecular polymers that can undergo both intrachain folding and interchain aggregation.
Published Adaptive 3D printing system to pick and place bugs and other organisms



A new adaptive 3D printing system can identify the positions of randomly distributed organisms and safely move them to specific locations for assembly.
Published Analyzing 'Finnegans Wake' for novel spacing between punctuation marks



James Joyce's tome 'Finnegans Wake' famously breaks the rules of normal prose through its unusual, dreamlike stream of consciousness, and new work in chaos theory takes a closer look at how Joyce's challenging novel stands out mathematically. Researchers compared the distribution of punctuation marks in various experimental novels to determine the underlying order of 'Finnegans Wake' and by statistically analyzing the texts, researchers found the tome exhibits an unusual but statistically identifiable structure. The wide singularity spectrum was perfectly symmetrical, meaning sentence length variability follows an orderly curve.