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Categories: Chemistry: General, Offbeat: Space
Published Ships now spew less sulfur, but warming has sped up



New findings document fewer ship tracks, reduced cloud cover, and boosted warming after ship emissions regulations took effect in 2020.
Published Engineers make tunable, shape-changing metamaterial inspired by vintage toys



Common push puppet toys in the shapes of animals and popular figures can move or collapse with the push of a button at the bottom of the toys' base. Now, a team of engineers has created a new class of tunable dynamic material that mimics the inner workings of push puppets, with applications for soft robotics, reconfigurable architectures and space engineering.
Published Scientists find oceans of water on Mars: It's just too deep to tap



Quakes and meteor impacts on Mars generate seismic waves that can help map the interior. A new study analyzed seismic waves detected by the Insight lander and concludes that 11-20 kilometers beneath the surface, a zone of pores and fractures is filled with liquid water -- more than was thought to fill Mars' surface oceans before they disappeared 3 billion years ago. Though too deep to drill, the reservoir is a possible refuge for life.
Published New mechanism to cool buildings while saving energy



The movement of radiant heat -- felt when a hot surface warms our bodies and homes -- between buildings and their surroundings at ground level makes buildings with less skyward-facing surfaces harder to cool. A research team has demonstrated a new passive cooling technology that coats walls and windows with materials that can better manage heat movement between buildings and their surroundings at ground level. Findings could reduce the reliance on air conditioning and provide a more environmentally friendly, low-cost and scalable option for low-income communities with limited or no access to cooling and heating systems.
Published Pioneering plasma-catalytic process for CO2 hydrogenation to methanol under ambient conditions



A research team reports a pioneering plasma-catalytic process for the hydrogenation of CO2 to methanol at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. This breakthrough addresses the limitations of traditional thermal catalysis, which often requires high temperatures and pressures, resulting in low CO2 conversion and methanol yield.
Published 3D laser printing with bioinks from microalgae



Microalgae such as the diatom Odontella aurita and the green alga Tetraselmis striata are especially suitable as 'biofactories' for the production of sustainable materials for 3D laser printing due to their high content in lipids and photoactive pigments. An international research team has succeeded for the first time in manufacturing inks for printing complex biocompatible 3D microstructures from the raw materials extracted from the microalgae.
Published New technology uses light to engrave erasable 3D images



Researchers invented a technique that uses a specialized light projector and a photosensitive chemical additive to imprint two- and three-dimensional images inside any polymer. The light-based engraving remains in the polymer until heat or light are applied, which erases the image and makes it ready to use again. The technology is intended for any situation where having detailed, precise visual data in a compact and easily customizable format could be critical, such as planning surgeries and developing architectural designs.
Published Finding pearls in the mud: Eco-friendly tungsten recovery from semiconductor waste



Semiconductor industry waste is typically seen as a costly disposal problem and an environmental hazard. But what if this waste could be transformed into a valuable resource? In an exciting development, researchers have unveiled an eco-friendly method to extract rare metals from semiconductor waste. This innovative approach not only recovers precious tungsten but also assesses its economic viability, offering a sustainable solution for waste management in the tech industry.
Published Effective new catalyst brings hope for cleaner energy, wastewater treatment, and green chemistry



A catalyst that significantly enhances ammonia conversion could improve wastewater treatment, green chemical and hydrogen production.
Published Chemists develop new sustainable reaction for creating unique molecular building blocks



Polymers can be thought of like trains: Just as a train is composed of multiple cars, polymers are made up of multiple monomers, and the couplings between the train cars are similar to the chemical bonds that link monomers together. While polymers have myriad applications -- from drug delivery to construction materials -- their structures and functions are restricted by the chemically similar monomer building blocks they're composed of. Now, chemists have developed a new reaction to create unique monomers in a controlled way. This reaction, which uses nickel as a catalyst, ultimately enables scientists to create polymers with unique and modifiable properties for drug delivery, energy storage, microelectronics and more.
Published Artificial compound eye to revolutionize robotic vision at lower cost but higher sensitivity



A research team has recently developed a novel artificial compound eye system that is not only more cost-effective, but demonstrates a sensitivity at least twice that of existing market products in small areas. The system promises to revolutionize robotic vision, enhance robots' abilities in navigation, perception and decision-making, while promoting commercial application and further development in human-robot collaboration.
Published Breakthrough in molecular control: New bioinspired double helix with switchable chirality



The control of artificial double-helical structures, which are essential for the development of high-order molecular systems, remains difficult. In a new study, researchers have developed novel double-helical monometallofoldamers that exhibit controllable helicity inversion and chiral information transfer, in response to external stimuli. These monometallofoldamers can lead to novel artificial supramolecular systems for molecular information transmission, amplification, replication, and other exciting applications in various fields of technology.
Published International Space Station crew carries out archeological survey in space



An archaeological strategy adapted for space used daily photos to reveal how astronauts actually use areas aboard the International Space Station -- and how this differs from intended uses.
Published Forever chemical pollution can now be tracked



Researchers developed a way to fingerprint organofluorine compounds -- sometimes called 'forever chemicals' --which could help authorities trace them to their source when they end up in aquifers, waterways or soil.
Published Findings from first archaeology project in space



The first-ever archeological survey in space has provided new insights into how astronauts use and adapt their living space on the International Space Station, which could influence the design of new space stations after the ISS is decommissioned.
Published Scientists lay out revolutionary method to warm Mars



Ever since we learned that the surface of planet Mars is cold and dead, people have wondered if there is a way to make it friendlier to life. The newly proposed method is over 5,000 times more efficient than previous schemes to globally warm Mars, representing a significant leap forward in our ability to modify the Martian environment.
Published Study on planet-warming contrails 'a spanner in the works' for aviation industry



Modern commercial aircraft flying at high altitudes create longer-lived planet-warming contrails than older aircraft, a new study has found.
Published New device for on-the-spot water testing



Researchers at University of Galway have developed a new, portable technology for on-the-spot testing of water quality to detect one of the most dangerous types of bacteria. Ireland regularly reports the highest crude incidence rates of the pathogen Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli -- STEC for short -- in Europe over the recent years.
Published Advanced chelators offer efficient and eco-friendly rare earth element recovery



The world is going to need a lot of weird metals in the coming years, according to chemistry professor. But he isn't talking about lithium, cobalt or even beryllium. He's interested in dysprosium, which is so hidden in the periodic table that you'd be forgiven for thinking he made it up.
Published Concept for efficiency-enhanced noble-metal catalysts



The production of more than 90 percent of all chemical products we use in our everyday lives relies on catalysts. Catalysts speed up chemical reactions, can reduce the energy required for these processes, and in some cases, reactions would not be possible at all without catalysts. Researchers developed a concept that increases the stability of noble-metal catalysts and requires less noble metal for their production.