News
Lithium-ion batteries could last longer with chemical tweak
4+ hour, 48+ min ago (457+ words) It's difficult to form a protective coating that prolongs battery life at the battery's cathode, but there may be a low-cost chemical solution It may be possible to extend the life of lithium-ion batteries using standard, low-cost chemistry. Lithium-ion batteries…...
Ghostly particles might just break our understanding of the universe
1+ week, 3+ day ago (358+ words) An analysis of several experiments aimed at detecting the mysterious neutrino has identified a hint of a crack in the standard model of particle physics Neutrinos rarely interact with normal matter Notoriously ghostly particles called neutrinos may have revealed a…...
Plastic can be programmed to have a lifespan of days, months or years
1+ mon, 2+ week ago (463+ words) Inspired by natural polymers like DNA, chemists have devised a way to engineer plastic so it breaks down when it is no longer needed, rather than polluting the environment We throw away hundreds of millions of tonnes of plastic each…...
Light can influence the magnetic properties of some materials
1+ mon, 3+ week ago (399+ words) An experiment 180 years ago first demonstrated a connection between light and electromagnetism " but the link is deeper than we thought Illustration of Faraday's experiment showing how light becomes polarised by a magnetic fieldENRIQUE SAHAG'N In 1845, physicist Michael Faraday provided the…...
Chemical computer can recognise patterns and perform multiple tasks
2+ mon, 3+ day ago (448+ words) Previous attempts at building a chemical computer have been too simple, too rigid or too hard to scale, but an approach based on a network of reactions can perform multiple tasks without having to be reconfigured Molecules can be used…...
Bulletproof fabric laced with carbon nanotubes is stronger than Kevlar
2+ mon, 2+ week ago (349+ words) A sheet of fabric that is three times stronger than Kevlar could stop a bullet despite being just 1.8 millimetres thick, thanks to the addition of carbon nanotubes that keep its molecules aligned The bulletproof fabric is both lightweight and strongJin…...
Cloud microbes' colours could help us detect life on other planets
2+ mon, 3+ week ago (683+ words) Microbes high in Earth's stratosphere produce pigments to protect them from UV light " so similar molecules could be biosignatures of life elsewhere in the galaxy A variety of bacteria, fungi and viruses live in the clouds above Earth's surface The…...
Civet coffee: The real chemistry behind this bizarre luxury drink
2+ mon, 3+ week ago (505+ words) Scientists are finding out how coffee beans are transformed when they pass through the guts of Asian palm civets in the hope of replicating the process without using animals An Asian palm civet Coffee beans collected from the faeces of…...
Nobel prize in chemistry awarded for work on molecular architecture
3+ mon, 1+ week ago (107+ words) Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar Yaghi have been honoured for the development of metal-organic frameworks, structures with large cavities in which molecules can flow in and out ... Susumu Kitagawa, Richard Robson and Omar Yaghi have been honoured for the…...
Biodegradable plastic made from bamboo is strong and easy to recycle
3+ mon, 1+ week ago (430+ words) Bamboo is a highly renewable resource, and its cellulose fibres can be turned into a hard, mouldable plastic for use in cars and appliances Bamboo plants are a fast-growing, renewable resourceJames Freeman / Alamy James Freeman / Alamy Hard plastic made from…...