Airborne chemicals instantly identified using new technology
Scientists have developed a device that can identify a wide range of airborne gases and chemicals instantly.
Read moreChemistry
Chains of atoms move at lightning speed inside metals
A phenomenon that has previously been seen when researchers simulate the properties of planet cores at extreme pressures has now also been observed in pure titanium at atmospheric pressure. Chains of atoms dash around at lightning speeds inside the solid material.
Read morePhysicists shed new light on how liquids behave with other materials
Using a range of theoretical and simulation approaches, physicists have shown that liquids in contact with substrates can exhibit a finite number of classes of behavior and identify the important new ones.
Read moreDiscovered: Unknown yellow colors from antiquity
Antique artefacts have been studied by chemists, revealing a hitherto unknown use of yellow in Ancient Egypt.
Read moreChemists create self-assembling material with suite of new properties
Chemists have created a new material that self-assembles into 2D networks in a predictable and reproducible manner. They have successfully synthesized a complex material by design — paving the way for its suite of new properties to be applied in many fields.
Read moreOverlap allows nanoparticles to enhance light-based detection
Scientists use the plasmonic properties of gold nanoparticles to amplify light from molecules triggered by electrochemiluminescence. The work could help researchers analyze the active surfaces of catalysts and other materials at the nanoscale.
Read moreEmpty spaces, how do they make a protein unstable?
Partial unfolding of proteins can be a major challenge in the industry, as it may affect the stability of products. So how does an empty space or cavity in its hydrophobic core destabilize a protein? And would such a cavity, in fact, be empty? These are some of the questions that researchers answer in a new study.
Read moreSuper light dampers for low tones
A team of acoustic researchers has built macroscopic crystal structures that use internal rotation to attenuate the propagation of waves. The method makes it possible to build very light and stiff materials that can also 'swallow' low frequencies very well, as they report.
Read moreControlling the charge state of organic molecule quantum dots in a 2D nanoarray
Researchers have fabricated a self-assembled, carbon-based nanofilm where the charge state (ie, electronically neutral or positive) can be controlled at the level of individual molecules. Molecular self-assembly on a metal results in a high-density, 2D, organic quantum-dot array with electric-field-controllable charge state, with the organic molecules used as 'nano-sized building blocks' in fabrication of functional nanomaterials. Achieved densities are an order of magnitude larger than conventional inorganic systems.
Read moreUnlocking the biochemical treasure chest within microbes
An international team of scientists has developed a genetic engineering tool that makes producing and analyzing microbial secondary metabolites — the basis for many important agricultural, industrial, and medical products — easier than ever before, and could even lead to breakthroughs in biomanufacturing.
Read more