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Categories: Chemistry: General, Energy: Alternative Fuels
Published Green doesn't always mean clean: Cleaning products urgently need better regulation, researchers warn
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers say there needs to be better regulation and more guidance for consumers about how safe cleaning products really are.
Published Inexpensive, carbon-neutral biofuels are finally possible
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source When it comes to making fuel from plants, the first step has always been the hardest -- breaking down the plant matter. A new study finds that introducing a simple, renewable chemical to the pretreatment step can finally make next-generation biofuel production both cost-effective and carbon neutral.
Published 3D printed nanocellulose upscaled for green architectural applications
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source For the first time, a hydrogel material made of nanocellulose and algae has been tested as an alternative, greener architectural material. The study shows how the abundant sustainable material can be 3D printed into a wide array of architectural components, using much less energy than conventional construction methods.
Published BESSY II: Molecular orbitals determine stability
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Carboxylic acid dianions (fumarate, maleate and succinate) play a role in coordination chemistry and to some extent also in the biochemistry of body cells. A team has now analyzed their electronic structures using RIXS in combination with DFT simulations. The results provide information not only on electronic structures but also on the relative stability of these molecules which can influence an industry's choice of carboxylate dianions, optimizing both the stability and geometry of coordination polymers.
Published Researchers reveal elusive bottleneck holding back global effort to convert carbon dioxide waste into usable products
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Think of it as recycling on the nanoscale: a tantalizing electrochemical process that can harvest carbon before it becomes air pollution and restructure it into the components of everyday products. The drive to capture airborne carbon dioxide from industrial waste and make it into fuel and plastics is gaining momentum after a team of researchers uncovered precisely how the process works and where it bogs down.
Published Structural isomerization of individual molecules using a scanning tunneling microscope probe
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An international research team has succeeded in controlling the chirality of individual molecules through structural isomerization. The team also succeeded in synthesizing highly reactive diradicals with two unpaired electrons. These achievements were made using a scanning tunneling microscope probe at low temperatures.
Published Chemists decipher reaction process that could improve lithium-sulfur batteries
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Lithium-sulfur batteries have exceptional theoretical capacity and performance in combination with an element in abundant supply. But the intricate reaction mechanism, particularly during discharge, has been challenging to solve. Researchers have identified the key pathways to a complex sulfur reduction reaction that leads to energy loss and reduced battery life span. The study's findings establish the whole reaction network for the first time and offer insight into electrocatalyst design for improved batteries.
Published Improving fuel cell durability with fatigue-resistant membranes
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In hydrogen fuel cells, electrolyte membranes frequently undergo deformation and develop cracks during operation. A research team has recently introduced a fatigue-resistant polymer electrolyte membrane for hydrogen fuel cells, employing an interpenetrating network of Nafion (a plastic electrolyte) and perfluoropolyether (a rubbery polymer). This innovation will not only improve fuel cell vehicles but also promises advancements in diverse technologies beyond transportation, spanning applications from drones to desalination filters and backup power sources.
Published GPT-3 transforms chemical research
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists demonstrate how GPT-3 can transform chemical analysis, making it faster and more user-friendly.
Published Solving an age-old mystery about crystal formation
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A crystals expert has published an answer to how crystals are formed and how molecules become a part of them, solving an age-old mystery about crystal formation.
Published Unveiling the generation principles of charged particles 'trion' in 2D semiconductor
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers pioneer dynamic manipulation and the generation principles of trion at the nanoscale using tip-enhanced cavity-spectroscopy.
Published Ammonia attracts the shipping industry, but researchers warn of its risks
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Switching to ammonia as a marine fuel, with the goal of decarbonization, can instead create entirely new problems. This is shown in a study where researchers carried out life cycle analyses for batteries and for three electrofuels including ammonia. Eutrophication and acidification are some of the environmental problems that can be traced to the use of ammonia -- as well as emissions of laughing gas, which is a very potent greenhouse gas.
Published Scientists 'break the mould' by creating new colors of 'blue cheese'
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Experts have discovered how to create different colors of blue cheese. After discovering how the classic blue-green veining is created, a team of experts were able to create a variety of different fungal strains that could be used to make cheese with colors ranging from white to yellow-green to red-brown-pink and light and dark blues.
Published Edge-to-edge assembly technique for 2D nanosheets
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A research team develops edge-to-edge assembly technique for 2D nanosheets.
Published How leafcutter ants cultivate a fungal garden to degrade plants and provide insights into future biofuels
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists developed a new method to map exactly how a fungus works with leafcutter ants in a complex microbial community to degrade plant material at the molecular level. The team's insights are important for biofuels development.
Published Single proton illuminates perovskite nanocrystals-based transmissive thin scintillators
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a transmissive thin scintillator using perovskite nanocrystals, designed for real-time tracking and counting of single protons. The exceptional sensitivity is attributed to biexcitonic radiative emission generated through proton-induced upconversion and impact ionization.
Published Key dynamics of 2D nanomaterials: View to larger-scale production
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of researchers mapped out how flecks of 2D materials move in liquid -- knowledge that could help scientists assemble macroscopic-scale materials with the same useful properties as their 2D counterparts.
Published Intensifying the production of high-value compounds from industrial waste
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source New research demonstrates how glycerol carbonate, a biosourced industrial additive, can be produced in record time using CO2 and a by-product of the cooking oil recycling industry. The process relies on a hybrid approach combining fundamental physical organic chemistry and applied flow process technology. Two industrial wastes are thus converted into glycerol carbonate, a biosourced rising star with high added-value.
Published Engineers unmask nanoplastics in oceans for the first time, revealing their true shapes and chemistry
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Millions of tons of plastic waste enter the oceans each year. The sun's ultraviolet light and ocean turbulence break down these plastics into invisible nanoparticles that threaten marine ecosystems. In a new study, engineers have presented clear images of nanoplastics in ocean water off the coasts of China, South Korea and the United States, and in the Gulf of Mexico. These tiny plastic particles, which originated from such consumer products as water bottles, food packaging and clothing, were found to have surprising diversity in shape and chemical composition.
Published Machine learning guides carbon nanotechnology
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Carbon nanostructures could become easier to design and synthesize thanks to a machine learning method that predicts how they grow on metal surfaces. The new approach will make it easier to exploit the unique chemical versatility of carbon nanotechnology.