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Categories: Chemistry: General, Offbeat: Space
Published The longer spilled oil lingers in freshwater, the more persistent compounds it produces



Oil is an important natural resource for many industries, but it can lead to serious environmental damage when accidentally spilled. While large oil spills are highly publicized, every year there are many smaller-scale spills into lakes, rivers and oceans. The longer that oil remains in freshwater, the more chemical changes it undergoes, creating products that can persist in the environment.
Published Key to efficient and stable organic solar cells



A team of researchers has made a significant breakthrough in the field of organic photovoltaics.
Published 'Like a nanoscopic Moon lander': Scientists unlock secret of how pyramidal molecules move across surfaces



Scientists have watched a molecule move across a graphite surface in unprecedented detail. It turns out this particular molecule moves like a Moon lander -- and the insights hold potential for future nanotechnologies.
Published Rubber-like stretchable energy storage device fabricated with laser precision



Scientists use laser ablation technology to develop a deformable micro-supercapacitor.
Published A chemical mystery solved -- the reaction explaining large carbon sinks



A mystery that has puzzled the scientific community for over 50 years has finally been solved. A team has discovered that a certain type of chemical reaction can explain why organic matter found in rivers and lakes is so resistant to degradation.
Published Eruption of mega-magnetic star lights up nearby galaxy



While ESA's satellite INTEGRAL was observing the sky, it spotted a burst of gamma-rays -- high-energy photons -- coming from the nearby galaxy M82. Only a few hours later, ESA's XMM-Newton X-ray space telescope searched for an afterglow from the explosion but found none. An international team realized that the burst must have been an extra-galactic flare from a magnetar, a young neutron star with an exceptionally strong magnetic field.
Published Researchers create artificial cells that act like living cells



Researchers describe the steps they took to manipulate DNA and proteins -- essential building blocks of life -- to create cells that look and act like cells from the body. This accomplishment, a first in the field, has implications for efforts in regenerative medicine, drug delivery systems and diagnostic tools.
Published Laser-treated cork absorbs oil for carbon-neutral ocean cleanup



Researchers use laser treatments to transform ordinary cork into a powerful tool for treating oil spills. They tested variations of a fast-pulsing laser treatment, closely examining the nanoscopic structural changes and measuring the ratio of oxygen and carbon in the material, changes in the angles with which water and oil contact the surface, and the material's light wave absorption, reflection, and emission across the spectrum to determine its durability after multiple cycles of warming and cooling. The laser treatments not only help to better absorb oil, but also work to keep water out.
Published To find life in the universe, look to deadly Venus



Despite surface temperatures hot enough to melt lead, lava-spewing volcanoes, and puffy clouds of sulfuric acid, uninhabitable Venus offers vital lessons about the potential for life on other planets, a new paper argues.
Published Giant galactic explosion exposes galaxy pollution in action



Astronomers have produced the first high-resolution map of a massive explosion in a nearby galaxy, providing important clues on how the space between galaxies is polluted with chemical elements.
Published More economical and sustainable rechargeable batteries



Lithium salts make batteries powerful but expensive. An ultralow-concentration electrolyte based on the lithium salt LiDFOB may be a more economical and more sustainable alternative. Cells using these electrolytes and conventional electrodes have been demonstrated to have high performance. In addition, the electrolyte could facilitate both production and recycling of the batteries.
Published AI and physics combine to reveal the 3D structure of a flare erupting around a black hole



Based on radio telescope data and models of black hole physics, a team has used neural networks to reconstruct a 3D image that shows how explosive flare-ups in the disk of gas around our supermassive black hole might look.
Published New copper-catalyzed C-H activation strategy



Inspired by what human liver enzymes can do, chemists have developed a new set of copper-catalyzed organic synthesis reactions for building and modifying pharmaceuticals and other molecules. The new reactions are expected to be widely used in drug discovery and optimization, as well as in other chemistry-based industries.
Published Development of organic semiconductors featuring ultrafast electrons



Collaboration has led to the successful observation of these ultrafast electrons within conducting two-dimensional polymers.
Published Accelerating the discovery of new materials via the ion-exchange method



Researchers have unveiled a new means of predicting how to synthesize new materials via the ion-exchange. Based on computer simulations, the method significantly reduces the time and energy required to explore for inorganic materials.
Published Energy scientists unravel the mystery of gold's glow



EPFL researchers have developed the first comprehensive model of the quantum-mechanical effects behind photoluminescence in thin gold films; a discovery that could drive the development of solar fuels and batteries.
Published Mess is best: Disordered structure of battery-like devices improves performance



The energy density of supercapacitors -- battery-like devices that can charge in seconds or a few minutes -- can be improved by increasing the 'messiness' of their internal structure. Researchers used experimental and computer modelling techniques to study the porous carbon electrodes used in supercapacitors. They found that electrodes with a more disordered chemical structure stored far more energy than electrodes with a highly ordered structure.
Published Astronomers uncover methane emission on a cold brown dwarf



Astronomers have discovered methane emission on a brown dwarf, an unexpected finding for such a cold and isolated world. The findings suggest that this brown dwarf might generate aurorae similar to those seen on our own planet as well as on Jupiter and Saturn.
Published From defects to order: Spontaneously emerging crystal arrangements in perovskite halides



A new hybrid layered perovskite featuring elusive spontaneous defect ordering has been found, report scientists. By introducing specific concentrations of thiocyanate ions into FAPbI3 (FA = formamidinium), they observed that ordered columnar defects appeared in the stacked crystalline layers, taking up one-third of the lattice space. These findings could pave the way to an innovative strategy for adjusting the properties of hybrid perovskites, leading to practical advances in optoelectronics and energy generation.
Published 'Tube map' around planets and moons made possible by knot theory



Scientists have developed a new method using knot theory to find the optimal routes for future space missions without the need to waste fuel.