https://phys.org/chemistry-news/ en-us The latest news stories on chemistry, biochemistry, polymers, materials science from Phys.org Duct tape found at crime scenes can provide forensic scientists with important information, but no standardized protocol for analyzing it has ever existed. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-duct-tape-evidence-court-method.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 02 Aug 2023 14:30:34 EDT news610205428 Steric zippers are a specific type of hydrophobic packing structure that form between two adjacent layers of peptide β-sheets in amyloid and similar fibrils. These structures play a crucial role in the stability and propagation of amyloid fibrils, and can aid in designing new peptide-based materials. However, creating artificial steric zippers is challenging owing to the strong aggregation tendency of β-sheet peptides. This often leads to the formation of gels and fibrils, making it difficult to obtain structures in their crystalline form. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-steric-zipper-interactions-artificial-crystalline.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Wed, 02 Aug 2023 14:30:10 EDT news610205406 Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries power smartphones, electric vehicles and storage for solar and wind energy, among other technologies. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-true-lithium-revealed.html Materials Science Wed, 02 Aug 2023 12:33:20 EDT news610198393 A chemical process used in the browning of food to give it its distinct smell and taste is probably happening deep in the oceans, where it helped create the conditions necessary for life. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-nature-kitchen-chemical-reaction-cooks.html Biochemistry Wed, 02 Aug 2023 11:00:02 EDT news610189437 The selective extraction of specific gas molecules from gaseous mixtures is a complex chemical challenge, with success offering significant commercial and environmental rewards. Capturing carbon dioxide (CO2) from industrial exhaust gases or the atmosphere, for example, could help mitigate climate change. Researchers at Kyoto University, with colleagues in China, report a new and energy efficient option in the journal Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-interactive-networks-capturing-gas-high.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Wed, 02 Aug 2023 08:50:51 EDT news610185046 Though cholesterol can threaten human health, this waxy substance is one of the most important small molecules in human physiology and plays myriad critical roles in biology and medicine. Its dynamics are critical for the maintenance and regulation of membrane fluidity, sterol interactions with lipids and proteins, and the interactions of viruses with human cells. Cholesterol is also a critical drug target. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-reveals-peculiar-movements-cholesterol-cellular.html Biochemistry Wed, 02 Aug 2023 08:48:35 EDT news610184911 Rotaxanes are interlocked molecular structures with a linear 'axle' molecule penetrating one or more cyclic 'wheel' molecules. Bulky groups at the end of the axle prevent the wheels from coming off. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-multicyclic-molecular-wheels-polymer-potential.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Wed, 02 Aug 2023 08:20:01 EDT news610182650 Antiviral therapies are notoriously difficult to develop, as viruses can quickly mutate to become resistant to drugs. But what if a new generation of antivirals ignores the fast-mutating proteins on the surface of viruses and instead disrupts their protective layers? https://phys.org/news/2023-08-molecules-viruses-bubble-like-membranes.html Biochemistry Wed, 02 Aug 2023 08:00:01 EDT news610111872 A team led by scientists from the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Department of Biological Sciences in collaboration with the French Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) has successfully synthesized a special protein-mimic that can self-assemble into a pore structure. When incorporated into a lipid membrane, the pores permit selective transport of water across the membrane while rejecting salt (ions). https://phys.org/news/2023-08-scientists-class-artificial-channels-efficient.html Biochemistry Materials Science Wed, 02 Aug 2023 07:51:18 EDT news610181474 AMOLF researcher Christiaan Van Campenhout has found a new, simple method to create a material with a regular pattern of crystalline bands. The pattern formed by the crystals is not a coincidence. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-low-tech-high-tech-materials.html Materials Science Wed, 02 Aug 2023 07:50:12 EDT news610181406 It created something of a stir back in 2022, when researchers from Aarhus University announced a new and inexpensive way of breaking down polyurethane (PU) plastic into its original components, which can then be recycled into new PU material instead of ending up in landfills or incinerators. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-mattresses-simple-chemistry-recycle-polyurethane.html Polymers Materials Science Tue, 01 Aug 2023 16:54:03 EDT news610127641 Para-cresol is an aromatic compound with a strong horse stable-like odor. It contributes to the off-flavor of some foods, but it is also detectable as a characteristic odorant in whiskey and tobacco, as well as in the urine of various mammals. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-team-human-odorant-receptor-horse.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Tue, 01 Aug 2023 12:31:01 EDT news610111859 Since ancient times, gemstones have been mined and traded across the globe, sometimes traveling continents from their origin. Gems are geologically defined as minerals celebrated for beauty, strength, and rarity. Their unique elemental composition and atomic orientation act as a fingerprint, enabling researchers to uncover the stones' past, and with it, historical trade routes. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-gemstones-unique-characteristics-uncover-ancient.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Tue, 01 Aug 2023 11:00:01 EDT news610098640 Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Research Science (CSRS) and the University of Toronto have discovered a new way to attack fungal infections. https://phys.org/news/2023-08-treatment-fungal-infections.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Tue, 01 Aug 2023 10:14:03 EDT news610103641 For decades, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been captivating researchers because of their wide range of applications: gas absorption, water harvesting, energy storage and desalination. Until now, quickly and inexpensively selecting the top performing MOFs for specific tasks has been challenging. Enter MOFormer, a machine learning model that can achieve higher accuracy on prediction tasks than leading models without explicitly relying on 3D atomic structures. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-metal-organic-frameworks-problems-self-supervised-property.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Mon, 31 Jul 2023 16:46:03 EDT news610040762 The World Health Organization has labeled antimicrobial resistance a global threat because most clinical antibiotics are no longer effective against certain pathogenic bacteria. The Center for Antibiotic Discovery and Resistance at the University of Oklahoma (OU), led by Helen Zgurskaya, Ph.D., and Valentin Rybenkov, Ph.D., is working on finding alternative therapeutic solutions. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-method-antimicrobial-resistance.html Biochemistry Mon, 31 Jul 2023 15:23:56 EDT news610035833 A novel method to extract lignin could help spin wheat straw into gold. Lignin produced using the new method was color-neutral, odorless and homogenous, an advance that could make this carbon-neutral material a more viable candidate for development of high-value products. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-lignin-method-renewable-material-profitable.html Biochemistry Polymers Mon, 31 Jul 2023 15:00:01 EDT news610015120 Automating the construction of three-dimensional structures that are 10s of millimeters in size would revolutionize manufacturing of devices for optical, electrical and biomedical applications. An economical process for constructing such 3D microstructures would be to "program" the constituent parts to spontaneously come together and build the structures themselves. Driving micron to mesoscale components (roughly between 0.1 to 100 millimeters) to line up and dynamically assemble into the desired structures, however, remains an elusive goal. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-stick-to-itiveness-self-organization-sticky-micron-to-mesoscale-3d-1.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Mon, 31 Jul 2023 13:23:31 EDT news610028586 Hydrogen has become the beacon of clean energy owing to its high energy density and carbon-free emissions. Despite these advantages, hydrogen fuel is still far from being commercialized. Liquefying hydrogen requires a huge amount of energy and extremely low temperatures, making its large-scale production and transportation over long distances quite challenging. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-water-durable-perovskite-oxynitride-nickel-catalysts-ammonia.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Mon, 31 Jul 2023 11:42:23 EDT news610022541 Using energy from light to activate natural enzymes can help scientists create new-to-nature enzymatic reactions that support eco-friendly biomanufacturing—the production of fuels, plastics, and valuable chemicals from plants or other biological systems. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-exploring-eco-friendly-enzyme-key-chemical.html Biochemistry Materials Science Mon, 31 Jul 2023 11:39:03 EDT news610022341 DNA sequencing technology, i.e., determining the order of nucleotide bases in a DNA molecule, is central to personalized medicine and disease diagnostics, yet even the fastest technologies require hours, or days, to read a complete sequence. Now, a multi-institutional research team led by The Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research (SANKEN) at Osaka University, has developed a technique that could lead to a new paradigm for genomic analysis. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-quantum-circuit-nucleotides.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Mon, 31 Jul 2023 09:57:03 EDT news610016222 New chemistry, new enzymology. With a new method that merges the best of two worlds—the unique and complementary activities of enzymes and small-molecule photochemistry—researchers at UC Santa Barbara have opened the door to new catalytic reactions. Their synergistic method allows for new products and can streamline existing processes, in particular, the synthesis of non-canonical amino acids, which are important for therapeutic purposes. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-scientists-unveil-synergistic-method-non-canonical.html Materials Science Sat, 29 Jul 2023 04:20:01 EDT news609819185 Using the full capabilities of the Quantinuum H1-1 quantum computer, researchers from the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory not only demonstrated best practices for scientific computing on current quantum systems but also produced an intriguing scientific result. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-quantum-molecular-candidate-efficient-solar.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Fri, 28 Jul 2023 13:55:10 EDT news609771299 In a study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, researchers appear to have discovered a way to produce a true structure of the rare but naturally-occurring anti-HIV compound Lancilactone C from start to finish. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-advances-anti-hiv-compound-lancilactone.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Fri, 28 Jul 2023 12:03:52 EDT news609764630 Enantioselection with neither chiral catalysis nor chiral ingredients (absolute enantioselection) has been one of the most active topics in biology, but its experimental realizations have been challenging. A team led by researchers at the Institute for Molecular Science (IMS) have demonstrated the enantioselectivity of helical supramolecules consisting only of achiral molecules solely by exploiting chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-effect-molecular-chirality-universal-applications.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Fri, 28 Jul 2023 10:35:04 EDT news609759301 Polystyrene, the main material in plastic tableware and insulating materials, is a widely used polymer but is currently difficult to recycle. Reporting in the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition, a team of U.S. researchers has now developed a thermochemical approach, making it possible to recover valuable chemicals from polystyrene waste in a simple two-step process. This new approach could enable the recycling of insulating and packaging materials for a truly circular plastics economy. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-recovering-valuable-chemical-blocks-polystyrene.html Polymers Analytical Chemistry Fri, 28 Jul 2023 09:24:51 EDT news609755053 Introduced in 2004, high-entropy alloys (HEAs) are alloys composed of multiple principal elements in nearly equiatomic proportions. Their unique chemical composition results in a high degree of chemical disorder, i.e., entropy, and produces remarkable properties such as high strength, ductility, and strong wear-and-tear resistance even at high temperatures. Scientists have dedicated a significant amount of attention to developing novel HEAs to help improve the performance of various electrocatalyst materials. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-reveal-powerful-platform-high-entropy-alloy.html Analytical Chemistry Materials Science Fri, 28 Jul 2023 08:48:54 EDT news609752931 When considering ways to sustainably generate environmentally friendly products, bacteria might not immediately spring to mind. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-imaging-solar-powered-microbes-carbon-dioxide.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Thu, 27 Jul 2023 13:33:06 EDT news609683582 Chemotherapy and radiotherapy aim to destroy cancer cells by inducing DNA double-strand breaks—damage that, once inflicted, usually causes the cells to die. But damage to a cell's genetic material also activates a signaling pathway called IKK/NF-κB that helps prevent cell death, thus limiting the success of these treatments in patients. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-compounds-cancer-cells-route.html Biochemistry Analytical Chemistry Thu, 27 Jul 2023 13:33:00 EDT news609683577 Imagine a plastic that is harder than common plastics, non-flammable, and even has self-healing properties. But that is not all—it can be produced at room temperature in water, which is very energy-efficient and does not require toxic solvents. Before hardening, you can shape the plastic in any way you want—like chewing gum. By adding water, it can also be converted back to its "chewing gum" form at any time, reshaped and thus recycled as often as desired. https://phys.org/news/2023-07-chemists-next-generation-self-healing-plastic-biodegradable.html Polymers Materials Science Thu, 27 Jul 2023 12:18:03 EDT news609679082