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Categories: Chemistry: General, Geoscience: Geochemistry
Published Researchers develop solid-state thermal transistor for better heat management
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of researchers has unveiled a first-of-its-kind stable and fully solid-state thermal transistor that uses an electric field to control a semiconductor device's heat movement. The group's study details how the device works and its potential applications. With top speed and performance, the transistor could open new frontiers in heat management of computer chips through an atomic-level design and molecular engineering. The advance could also further the understanding of how heat is regulated in the human body.
Published Stronger, stretchier, self-healing plastic
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source An innovative plastic, stronger and stretchier than the current standard type and which can be healed with heat, remembers its shape and partially biodegradable, has been developed. They created it by adding the molecule polyrotaxane to an epoxy resin vitrimer, a type of plastic. Named VPR, the material can hold its form and has strong internal chemical bonds at low temperatures.
Published Making electric vehicles last
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source In the realm of electric vehicles, powered by stored electric energy, the key lies in rechargeable batteries capable of enduring multiple charge cycles. Lithium-ion batteries have been the poster child for this application. However, due to limitations in energy storage capacity and other associated challenges, the focus has shifted to an intriguing alternative known as dual-ion batteries (DIBs).
Published 'Lab on a chip' genetic test device can identify viruses within three minutes with top-level accuracy
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Compact genetic testing device could be used to detect a range of pathogens, or conditions including cancer.
Published Self-powered microbial fuel cell biosensor for monitoring organic freshwater pollution
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Biodegradable waste from plant and animal sources released into freshwater ecosystems is a significant environmental concern. Nonetheless, current methods for assessing water quality seem more or less impractical due to their complexity and high costs. In a promising development, a team of researchers has successfully constructed a self-sustaining and buoyant biosensor using inexpensive carbon-based materials for monitoring water quality at the inlets of freshwater lakes and rivers.
Published Investigators examine shifts in coral microbiome under hypoxia
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study provides the first characterization of the coral microbiome under hypoxia, insufficient oxygen in the water.
Published Study links changes in global water cycle to higher temperatures
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new study takes an important step toward reconstructing a global history of water over the past 2,000 years. Using geologic and biologic evidence preserved in natural archives -- including 759 different paleoclimate records from globally distributed corals, trees, ice, cave formations and sediments -- the researchers showed that the global water cycle has changed during periods of higher and lower temperatures in the recent past.
Published Chemists make breakthrough in drug discovery chemistry
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Chemists offer two new methods to develop a way to easily replace a carbon atom with a nitrogen atom in a molecule. The findings could make it easier to develop new drugs.
Published Human emissions increased mercury in the atmosphere sevenfold
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers estimated that before humans started pumping mercury into the atmosphere, it contained on average about 580 megagrams of mercury. However, in 2015, independent research that looked at all available atmospheric measurements estimated the atmospheric mercury reservoir was about 4,000 Mg -- nearly 7 times larger than the natural condition estimated in this study.
Published Efficient biohybrid batteries
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Formic acid, which can be produced electrochemically from carbon dioxide, is a promising energy carrier. A research team has now developed a fast-charging hybrid battery system that combines the electrochemical generation of formic acid as an energy carrier with a microbial fuel cell. This novel, fast-charging biohybrid battery system can be used to monitor the toxicity of drinking water, just one of many potential future applications.
Published Humans are disrupting natural 'salt cycle' on a global scale, new study shows
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A new paper revealed that human activities are making Earth's air, soil and freshwater saltier, which could pose an 'existential threat' if current trends continue. Geologic and hydrologic processes bring salts to Earth's surface over time, but human activities such as mining and land development are rapidly accelerating this natural 'salt cycle.'
Published Photography: One-stop solution for shaping and outlining objects
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A joint research team has developed a dual metalens that can switch between shooting modes based on light conditions.
Published Microplastics' shape determines how far they travel in the atmosphere
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Micron-size microplastic debris can be carried by the jet stream across oceans and continents, and their shape plays a crucial role in how far they travel.
Published How common desert shrub efficiently harvests water from the air
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source A team of scientists has revealed the mechanism a desert plant native to the United Arab Emirates uses to capture moisture from the desert air in order to survive.
Published New frequency comb can identify molecules in 20-nanosecond snapshots
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a device that can detect the presence of specific molecules in a sample every 20 nanoseconds, or billionths of a second. With this new capability, researchers can potentially use frequency combs to better understand the split-second intermediate steps in fast-moving processes ranging from the workings of hypersonic jet engines to the chemical reactions between enzymes that regulate cell growth.
Published Engineers develop an efficient process to make fuel from carbon dioxide
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers developed an efficient process that can convert carbon dioxide into formate, a nonflammable liquid or solid material that can be used like hydrogen or methanol to power a fuel cell and generate electricity.
Published How robots can help find the solar energy of the future
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source To quickly and accurately characterize prospective materials for use in solar energy, researchers built an automated system to perform laboratory experiments and used machine learning to help analyze the data they recorded. Their goal is to identify semiconductor materials for use in photovoltaic solar energy, which are highly efficient and have low toxicity.
Published Drawing a tube of blood could assess ALS risk from environmental toxin exposure
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Investigators have developed a new risk score that assesses a person's risk for developing ALS, as well as for survival after diagnosis, using a blood sample based on exposure to toxins in the environment, a new study shows.
Published A superatomic semiconductor sets a speed record
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source The search is on for better semiconductors. A team of chemists describes the fastest and most efficient semiconductor yet: a superatomic material called Re6Se8Cl2.
Published A potentially cheaper and 'cooler' way for hydrogen transport
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Researchers have developed a new hydrogen energy carrier material capable storing hydrogen energy efficiently and potentially more cheaply. Each molecule can store one electron from hydrogen at room temperature, store it for up the three months, and can be its own catalyst to extract said electron. Moreover, as the compound is made primarily of nickel, its cost is relatively low.