News
In 1926, a failed rubber coating experiment and a strange elastic solid accidentally changed the future of plastics
7+ hour, 13+ min ago (762+ words) In 1926, chemist Waldo Semon tried to solve the problem of rubber coating for B. F. Goodrich in Akron, Ohio, when he had no idea that his invention would revolutionise the plastics industry. But when the supply of rubber ran out, the course…...
Chemists make hydrogen from breadcrumbs in groundbreaking reaction that could replace some fossil fuels
1+ mon, 2+ week ago (374+ words) Breadcrumbs from food waste could replace fossil fuels as a source of hydrogen in one of the most common chemical reactions used in chemical manufacturing, new research suggests. Hydrogenation is a chemical process that inserts a molecule of hydrogen across…...
Energy transition without carbon capture is impossible
2+ mon, 3+ day ago (1550+ words) In a first, India set aside Rs 20, 000 crore in the recent Union'budget'for Carbon Capture, Utilisation and Storage (CCUS). This technology, adopted in a limited way by many countries, will be rolled out over the next five years in sectors such…...
Future spacecraft could fix their own damage using 'self-healing' materials
2+ mon, 1+ week ago (560+ words) inkl Future spacecraft could fix their own damage using 'self-healing' materials Spacecraft of the future may be able to detect and repair their own structural damage in orbit, a capability that could make long-duration missions and reusable launch vehicles more…...
Proteins before planets: How space ice may have created the 1st building blocks of life
3+ mon, 3+ week ago (359+ words) The chemistry that built life on Earth may have begun in deep space, according to a new study. The discovery could help to unravel one of science's central questions: what are the origins of life's molecular building blocks? It is…...
How astronomers plan to detect the signatures of alien life in the atmospheres of distant planets
4+ mon, 1+ week ago (855+ words) We live in a very exciting time: answers to some of the oldest questions humanity has conceived are within our grasp. One of these is whether Earth is the only place that harbours life. In the last 30 years, the question…...
Scientists develop new "safer, cheaper" battery that may replace lithium cells
4+ mon, 1+ week ago (258+ words) Chinese engineers have built a new type of sodium-and-sulphur battery they say can be a safer and cheaper alternative to lithium cells. An ever-increasing number of electronics use lithium as the key battery material. But lithium batteries are prone to…...
Chemistry is stuck in the dark ages " "chemputation" can bring it into the digital world
4+ mon, 1+ week ago (847+ words) Chemistry deals with that most fundamental subject: matter. New drugs, materials and batteries all depend on our ability to make new molecules. But discovery of new substances is slow, expensive and fragile. Each molecule is treated as a bespoke craft…...