Chemicals for pharmaceuticals could be made cheaper and greener by new catalysts
High value chemicals used to make pharmaceuticals could be made much cheaper and quicker thanks to a series of new catalysts.
Read moreChemistry
New research identifies the strengths and weaknesses of super material
Scientists have measured how the super-plastic material ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, commercially known as Dyneema or Spectra, interacts when bolted to other materials. The research has established guidelines and failure maps for use of the material in joints with steel bolts. The research shows that while the material deforms at the joints, it's incredible difficult to actually break the fibers.
Read moreBorophene on silver grows freely into an atomic 'skin'
Borophene has a nearly perfect partner in a form of silver that could help the trendy two-dimensional material grow to unheard-of lengths.
Read moreTetravinylallene, a small but powerful molecule, synthesized for first time
Many natural compounds used in medicine have complex molecular architectures that are difficult to recreate in the lab. Help could come from a small hydrocarbon molecule, called tetravinylallene, which has been synthesized for the first time by scientists. Tetravinylallene can be used to construct complex molecular frameworks more quickly and with less environmental impact than by using established methods.
Read moreA laser, a crystal and molecular structures
Researchers have built a new tool to study molecules using a laser, a crystal and light detectors. This new technology will reveal nature's smallest sculptures — the structures of molecules — with increased detail and specificity.
Read moreChemists clarify a chiral conundrum
Researchers set out to untangle the mysterious interactions in mixtures of proteins and gold nanorods. Their experiments revealed multilevel chirality in the way proteins prompt nanoparticles to align and in how the particles' plasmons respond to light in the proteins' presence.
Read moreHow to tie microscopic knots
Physicists have discovered a new way to tie microscopic knots within a solution of liquid crystals.
Read moreJumping the gap may make electronics faster
A quasi-particle that travels along the interface of a metal and dielectric material may be the solution to problems caused by shrinking electronic components, according to an international team of engineers.
Read moreMachine learning finds new metamaterial designs for energy harvesting
Electrical engineers have harnessed the power of machine learning to design dielectric (non-metal) metamaterials that absorb and emit specific frequencies of terahertz radiation. The technique drops the time needed to simulate possible configurations from more than 2,000 years to 23 hours, which should facilitate the design of sustainable types of thermal energy harvesters and lighting.
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