Chemistry
Liquid metals the secret ingredients to clean up environment
Liquid metal catalysts show great promise for capturing carbon and cleaning up pollutants, requiring so little energy they can even be created in the kitchen.
Read morePhysics: An ultrafast glimpse of the photochemistry of the atmosphere
Researchers have explored the initial consequences of the interaction of light with molecules on the surface of nanoscopic aerosols.
Read morePhysicists look to navigational 'rhumb lines' to study polymer's unique spindle structure
A new study describes how spheres can be transformed into twisted spindles thanks to insights from 16th century navigational tools. Researchers show how polymers can contract into spiral structures, known as loxodromes, that have complex patterning ten times smaller than the width of a human hair.
Read moreExplained: The lifetime of an evaporating liquid drop
The lifespan of a liquid droplet which is transforming into vapour can now be predicted thanks to a new theory. The new understanding can now be exploited in a myriad of natural and industrial settings where the lifetime of liquid drops governs a process' behavior and efficiency.
Read moreNew science on cracking leads to self-healing materials
Cracks in the desert floor appear random to the untrained eye, even beautifully so, but the mathematics governing patterns of dried clay turn out to be predictable — and useful in designing advanced materials.
Read moreSunlight degrades polystyrene faster than expected
Researchers show that polystyrene, one of the world's most ubiquitous plastics, may degrade in decades or centuries when exposed to sunlight, rather than thousands of years as previously thought.
Read moreNanoparticles may have bigger impact on the environment than previously thought
In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers have shown that nanoparticles may have a bigger impact on the environment than previously thought.
Read moreNew production technique for high-performance polymer could make for better body armor
Using a new composite nanoparticle catalyst, researchers have shown they can make degradation-resistant PBO, a polymer used to make body armor and other high-performance fabrics.
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