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Categories: Chemistry: Inorganic Chemistry, Mathematics: Statistics
Published Copper-based catalysts efficiently turn carbon dioxide into methane


Copper-based catalysts developed by materials scientists help speed up the rate of carbon dioxide-to-methane conversion.
Published Unraveling the mysteries of glassy liquids



A collaborative study builds a novel theory to explain the puzzling collective behavior of glass-forming liquids at low temperatures, a phenomenon with widespread implications in fields like material science and biology.
Published Scaling up the power of nanotechnology


Researchers created a proof of concept of a nanocapsule -- a microscopic container -- capable of delivering a specific 'payload' to a targeted location. While beyond the scope of this study, the discovery could one day impact how drugs, nutrients and other types of chemical compounds are delivered within humans or plants.
Published New recycling method fights plastic waste


Almost 80% of plastic in the waste stream ends up in landfills or accumulates in the environment. Scientists have now developed a technology that converts a conventionally unrecyclable mixture of plastic waste into useful chemicals, presenting a new strategy in the toolkit to combat global plastic waste.
Published One-atom-thick ribbons could improve batteries, solar cells and sensors


Researchers created nanoribbons made of phosphorus and tiny amounts of arsenic, which they found were able to conduct electricity at temperatures above -140 degrees Celsius, while retaining the highly useful properties of the phosphorus-only ribbons.
Published Making contact: Researchers wire up individual graphene nanoribbons


Researchers have developed a method of 'wiring up' graphene nanoribbons (GNRs), a class of one-dimensional materials that are of interest in the scaling of microelectronic devices. Using a direct-write scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) based process, the nanometer-scale metal contacts were fabricated on individual GNRs and could control the electronic character of the GNRs. The researchers say that this is the first demonstration of making metal contacts to specific GNRs with certainty and that those contacts induce device functionality needed for transistor function.
Published Researchers make sand that flows uphill


Engineering researchers have discovered that sand can actually flow uphill. A corresponding video shows what happens when torque and an attractive force is applied to each grain -- the grains flow uphill, up walls, and up and down stairs.
Published Novel organic light-emitting diode with ultralow turn-on voltage for blue emission


An upconversion organic light-emitting diode (OLED) based on a typical blue-fluorescence emitter achieves emission at an ultralow turn-on voltage of 1.47 V. The technology circumvents the traditional high voltage requirement for blue OLEDs, leading to potential advancements in commercial smartphone and large screen displays.
Published Imaging the smallest atoms provides insights into an enzyme's unusual biochemistry


A team has used neutron crystallography to image all of the atoms in a radical intermediate of a copper amine oxidase enzyme. They disclosed previously unknown details, such as precise conformational changes, that help to explain the enzyme's biochemistry. This work might help researchers engineer enzymes that facilitate unusual chemistry or are highly efficient at room temperature that are useful in chemical industry.
Published New recipes for origin of life may point way to distant, inhabited planets



Life on a faraway planet -- if it's out there -- might not look anything like life on Earth. But there are only so many chemical ingredients in the universe's pantry, and only so many ways to mix them. Scientists have now exploited those limitations to write a cookbook of hundreds of chemical recipes with the potential to give rise to life. Their ingredient list could focus the search for life elsewhere in the universe by pointing out the most likely conditions -- planetary versions of mixing techniques, oven temperatures and baking times -- for the recipes to come together.
Published Precisely arranging nanoparticles


In the incredibly small world of molecules, the elementary building blocks -- the atoms -- join together in a very regular pattern. In contrast, in the macroscopic world with its larger particles, there is much greater disorder when particles connect. A research team has now succeeded in achieving the same precise arrangement of atoms shown in molecules, but using nanometer-sized particles, known as 'plasmonic molecules' -- combinations of nanoscale metallic structures that have unique properties.
Published Novel ligands for transition-metal catalysis of photoreactions


Transition metals exchange electrons with supporting ligands to form complexes that facilitate reaction catalysis in several industries, like pharmaceutical production. Both the metal center and the ligand moiety have pivotal roles in enabling catalysis. While numerous transition metal-catalyzed photoreactions have been developed, only a few new ligands have been reported. Researchers from Chiba University have now developed novel ligands to create transition metal complexes, defining new reaction capabilities.
Published Engineers grow full wafers of high-performing 2D semiconductor that integrates with state-of-the-art chips


Researchers have grown a high-performing 2D semiconductor to a full-size, industrial-scale wafer. In addition, the semiconductor material, indium selenide (InSe), can be deposited at temperatures low enough to integrate with a silicon chip.
Published New clues to the nature of elusive dark matter


A team of international researchers has uncovered further clues in the quest for insights into the nature of dark matter. The key to understanding this mystery could lie with the dark photon, a theoretical massive particle that may serve as a portal between the dark sector of particles and regular matter.
Published Golden future for thermoelectrics


Researchers discover excellent thermoelectric properties of nickel-gold alloys. These can be used to efficiently convert heat into electrical energy.
Published Carbon atoms coming together in space



Lab-based studies reveal how carbon atoms diffuse on the surface of interstellar ice grains to form complex organic compounds, crucial to reveal the chemical complexity in the universe.
Published Making hydrogen from waste plastic could pay for itself


Researchers have found a way to harvest hydrogen from plastic waste using a low-emissions method that generates graphene as a by-product, which could help offset production costs.
Published Scientists invent a bright way to upcycle plastics into liquids that can store hydrogen energy


Scientists have created a process that can upcycle most plastics into chemicals useful for energy storage, using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and a commercially available catalyst, all at room temperature. The new process is very energy-efficient and can be easily powered by renewable energy in the future, unlike other heat-driven recycling processes like pyrolysis. Currently, only nine per cent of plastics globally are recycled and the rest are typically discarded in landfills or incinerated.
Published Pixel-by-pixel analysis yields insights into lithium-ion batteries


By mining X-ray images, researchers have made significant new discoveries about the reactivity of lithium iron phosphate, a material used in batteries for electric cars and in other rechargeable batteries.
Published Chemist uses nature as inspiration for a sustainable, affordable adhesive system


A chemist drew inspiration from the natural world, from his experiences scuba diving to studying shellfish in his lab. He has developed a sustainable adhesive system -- an alternative to toxic, permanent, traditional adhesives.