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Categories: Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry, Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology
Published A new way to make element 116 opens the door to heavier atoms



Researchers have successfully made super-heavy element 116 using a beam of titanium-50. That milestone sets the team up to attempt making the heaviest element yet: 120.
Published Taco-shaped arthropod fossils gives new insights into the history of the first mandibulates



Palaeontologists are helping resolve the evolution and ecology of Odaraia, a taco-shaped marine animal that lived during the Cambrian period. Fossils reveal Odaraia had mandibles. Palaeontologists are finally able to place it as belonging to the mandibulates, ending its long enigmatic classification among the arthropods since it was first discovered in the Burgess Shale over 100 years ago and revealing more about early evolution and diversification.
Published Researchers develop more environmentally friendly and cost-effective method for soil remediation



Chemists have developed a rapid electrothermal mineralization (REM) process, which in seconds can remediate the accumulation of synthetic chemicals that can contaminate soil and the environment.
Published Hunter-gatherers kept an 'orderly home' in the earliest known British dwelling



Archaeological evidence from the world-famous Mesolithic site of Star Carr in North Yorkshire has shown that hunter-gatherers likely kept an orderly home by creating 'zones' for particular domestic activities.
Published A promising new method uses light to clean up forever chemicals



A room-temperature method to decompose perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) using visible LED light offers a promising solution for sustainable fluorine recycling and PFAS treatment.
Published Team develops safe and long-cyclable lithium metal battery for high temperatures



In recent years, batteries have become ubiquitous in consumers' daily lives. However, existing commercial battery technologies, which use liquid electrolytes and carbonaceous anodes, have certain drawbacks such as safety concerns, limited lifespan, and inadequate power density particularly at high temperatures.
Published Researchers develop new method for achieving controllable tuning and assessing instability in 2D materials for engineering applications



Two-dimensional (2D) materials have atomic-level thickness and excellent mechanical and physical properties, with broad application prospects in fields such as semiconductors, flexible devices, and composite materials.
Published Organs on demand? Scientists print voxel building blocks



Scientists are bioprinting 3D structures with a material that is a close match for human tissue, paving the way for true biomanufacturing.
Published Waste Styrofoam can now be converted into polymers for electronics



A new study describes a chemical reaction that can convert Styrofoam into a high-value conducting polymer known as PEDOT:PSS. Researchers also noted that the upgraded plastic waste can be successfully incorporated into functional electronic devices, including silicon-based hybrid solar cells and organic electrochemical transistors.
Published Chemists design novel method for generating sustainable fuel



Chemists have been working to synthesize high-value materials from waste molecules for years.
Published Soft, stretchy 'jelly batteries' inspired by electric eels



Researchers have developed soft, stretchable 'jelly batteries' that could be used for wearable devices or soft robotics, or even implanted in the brain to deliver drugs or treat conditions such as epilepsy.
Published Physicists develop new theory describing the energy landscape formed when quantum particles gather together



An international team of physicists has proven new theorems in quantum mechanics that describe the 'energy landscapes' of collections of quantum particles. Their work addresses decades-old questions, opening up new routes to make computer simulation of materials much more accurate. This, in turn, may help scientists design a suite of materials that could revolutionize green technologies.
Published Capturing carbon with energy-efficient sodium carbonate-nanocarbon hybrid material



Carbon capture is a promising approach for mitigating carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Different materials have been used to capture CO2 from industrial exhaust gases. Scientists developed hybrid CO2 capture materials containing sodium carbonate and nanocarbon prepared at different temperatures, tested their performance, and identified the optimal calcination temperature condition. They found that the hybrid material exhibits and maintains high CO2 capture capacity for multiple regeneration cycles at a lower temperature, making it cost- and energy-effective.
Published Breakthrough in quantum microscopy: Researchers are making electrons visible in slow motion



Physicists are developing quantum microscopy which enables them for the first time to record the movement of electrons at the atomic level with both extremely high spatial and temporal resolution. Their method has the potential to enable scientists to develop materials in a much more targeted way than before.
Published Making rechargeable batteries more sustainable with fully recyclable components



Rechargeable solid-state lithium batteries are an emerging technology that could someday power cell phones and laptops for days with a single charge. Offering significantly enhanced energy density, they are a safer alternative to the flammable lithium-ion batteries currently used in consumer electronics -- but they are not environmentally friendly. Current recycling methods focus on the limited recovery of metals contained within the cathodes, while everything else goes to waste.
Published Producing hydrogen and fertilizer at the same time



This new concept could allow the needs of previously separate industries to be combined: the production of hydrogen and the production of fertilizer.
Published Crystals from radioactive metal actinium



Researchers grew crystals containing actinium and illuminated them with X-rays to learn how the radioactive metal binds with other elements. That information could help design better cancer treatments.
Published Microbeads with adaptable fluorescent colors from visible light to near-infrared



Researchers have successfully developed an environmentally friendly, microspherical fluorescent material primarily made from citric acid. These microbeads emit various colors of light depending on the illuminating light and the size of the beads, which suggests a wide range of applications. Furthermore, the use of plant-derived materials allows for low-cost and energy-efficient synthesis.
Published A chemical claw machine bends and stretches when exposed to vapors



Scientists have developed a tiny 'claw machine' that is able to pick up and drop a marble-sized ball in response to exposure to chemical vapors. The findings point to a technique that can enable soft actuators--the parts of a machine that make it move--to perform multiple tasks without the need for additional costly materials. While existing soft actuators can be 'one-trick ponies' restricted to one type of movement, this novel composite film contorts itself in different ways depending on the vapor that it is exposed to.
Published Scientists create computer program that 'paints' the structure of molecules in the style of Piet Mondrian



Scientists have created a computer program that 'paints' the structure of molecules in the style of famous Dutch artist, Piet Mondrian. Researchers are opening eyes and minds to the beauty of molecular structure, as well as posing new questions about the form and function of the molecules themselves.