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Categories: Chemistry: Organic Chemistry, Ecology: General
Published Ethylene from CO2: Building-kit catalyst
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Use of the greenhouse gas CO2 as a chemical raw material would not only reduce emissions, but also the consumption of fossil feedstocks. A novel metal-free organic framework could make it possible to electrocatalytically produce ethylene, a primary chemical raw material, from CO2. Nitrogen atoms with a particular electron configuration play a critical role for the catalyst.
Published Conservation of nature's strongholds needed to halt biodiversity loss
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source To achieve global biodiversity targets, conservationists and governments must prioritize the establishment and effective management of large, interconnected protected areas with high ecological integrity, researchers argue in a new essay.
Published Regional differences in bird diversity in agroforestry systems
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The diversity and ecological functionality of bird communities in tropical agroforestry systems are shaped by the surrounding landscape, in particular the extent and composition of the forest.
Published A rise in sea urchins and related damage to kelp forests impacts Oregon's gray whales and their food
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A recent boom in the purple sea urchin population off the southern Oregon Coast appears to have had an indirect and negative impact on the gray whales that usually forage in the region, a new study shows.
Published By listening, scientists learn how a protein folds
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source By converting their data into sounds, scientists discovered how hydrogen bonds contribute to the lightning-fast gyrations that transform a string of amino acids into a functional, folded protein. Their report offers an unprecedented view of the sequence of hydrogen-bonding events that occur when a protein morphs from an unfolded to a folded state.
Published Digging up good news for microbial studies
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Findings indicate that soil stored under refrigerated or air-dried conditions can still retain the needed information for understanding microbial community composition and structure for many years.
Published Blueprints of self-assembly
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have taken a step closer to replicating nature's processes of self-assembly. The study describes the synthetic construction of a tiny, self-assembled crystal known as a 'pyrochlore,' which bears unique optical properties. The advance provides a steppingstone to the eventual construction of sophisticated, self-assembling devices at the nanoscale -- roughly the size of a single virus.
Published Seeking stronger steel, systematic look at 120 combinations of alloy elements provides clues
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Investigating ways to create high-performance steel, a research team used theoretical calculations on 120 combinations of 12 alloy elements, such as aluminum and titanium, with carbon and nitrogen, while also systematically clarifying the bonding mechanism.
Published Diamond glitter: A play of colors with artificial DNA crystals
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Using DNA origami, researchers have built a diamond lattice with a periodicity of hundreds of nanometers -- a new approach for manufacturing semiconductors for visible light.
Published Chemists develop new method for making gamma chiral centers on simple carboxylic acids
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source C-H activation-based method should speed drug molecule design and diversification.
Published Breaking bonds to form bonds: Rethinking the Chemistry of Cations
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of chemists has achieved a significant breakthrough in the field of chemical synthesis, developing a novel method for manipulating carbon-hydrogen bonds. This groundbreaking discovery provides new insights into the molecular interactions of positively charged carbon atoms. By selectively targeting a specific C--H bond, they open doors to synthetic pathways that were previously closed -- with potential applications in medicine.
Published Bioengineered enzyme creates natural vanillin from plants in one step
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Vanilla, the most widely used flavoring compound in confectionaries and cosmetics, gets its sweet flavor and aroma from the chemical compound -- 'vanillin'. However, the large-scale production of natural vanillin is impeded by the lack of microbial processes and enzymes which can commercially generate vanillin. Now, researchers have genetically engineered a novel enzyme which can convert ferulic acid from plant waste into vanillin in a one-step sustainable process.
Published From roots to resilience: investigating the vital role of microbes in coastal plant health
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Understanding how salt marsh grass stays healthy is of crucial ecological importance, and studying the ways bacteria interact with these plants is key. Thanks to recent advances in genomic technology, biologists have begun to reveal never-before-seen ecological processes.
Published Access to gardens and citizen science helps encourage conservation among children, study shows
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Access to gardens and citizen science projects at school can help promote pro-conservation behaviour among pupils, a new study shows.
Published A novel multifunctional catalyst turns methane into valuable hydrocarbons
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The optimal design of a novel zeolite catalyst enables tandem reaction that turns greenhouse gases into value-added chemicals, report scientists. By tuning the separation between different active sites on the catalyst, they achieved the stepwise conversion of methane into methanol and then to hydrocarbons at mild conditions. These findings will help reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions across various industrial fields.
Published Climate change is most prominent threat to pollinators
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new article has found that climate change is the most prominent threat to pollinators -- such as bumblebees, wasps, and butterflies -- who are essential for biodiversity conservation, crop yields and food security. The research suggests that many of the threats to pollinators result from human activities.
Published Next-generation sustainable electronics are doped with air
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Semiconductors are the foundation of all modern electronics. Now, researchers have developed a new method where organic semiconductors can become more conductive with the help of air as a dopant. The study is a significant step towards future cheap and sustainable organic semiconductors.
Published Penalties for dropping out of ecosystem services incentive programs should equal lost environmental benefits
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source PES programs are currently structured in ways that could limit their participation or create incentives to drop out before the full environmental benefits are realized.
Published Promising new development in solar cell technology
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers who contributed to the development of record-breaking solar cells a few years ago, expanded their invention. The self-assembled monolayers can now be applied not only in inverted but also in regular structure perovskite solar cells.
Published Eco-friendly and affordable battery for low-income countries
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A battery made from zinc and lignin that can be used over 8000 times. This has been developed with a vision to provide a cheap and sustainable battery solution for countries where access to electricity is limited.