Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
Reversible self-assembly of superstructured networks
Soft structures in nature, such as protein assemblies, can organize reversibly into functional and often hierarchical architectures through noncovalent interactions. Molecularly encoding this dynamic capability in synthetic materials has remained...
Templated nanofiber synthesis via chemical vapor polymerization into liquid crystalline films
Extrusion, electrospinning, and microdrawing are widely used to create fibrous polymer mats, but these approaches offer limited access to oriented arrays of nanometer-scale fibers with controlled size, shape, and lateral...
Heterobiaryl synthesis by contractive C-C coupling via P(V) intermediates
Heterobiaryls composed of pyridine and diazine rings are key components of pharmaceuticals and are often central to pharmacological function. We present an alternative approach to metal-catalyzed cross-coupling to make heterobiaryls...
Mini ‘solar panels’ help yeast shine at churning out drug ingredients
Microbes equipped with light-harvesting semiconductor particles generate useful chemicals much more efficiently than ordinary microbes.
Solar panels for yeast cell biofactories
Genetically engineered microbes such as bacteria and yeasts have long been used as living factories to produce drugs and fine chemicals. More recently, researchers have started to combine bacteria with...
Nanofiber carpet could lead to new sticky or insulating surfaces
Inspired by the extraordinary characteristics of polar bear fur, lotus leaves and gecko feet, engineering researchers have developed a new way to make arrays of nanofibers that could bring us...
Preventing chemical weapons as sciences converge
Alarming examples of the dangers from chemical weapons have been seen recently in the use of industrial chemicals and the nerve agent sarin against civilians in Syria, and in the...
Lucy Hale joins cast of 'Fantasy Island' film adaptation
Lucy Hale has been cast in Sony and Blumhouse's upcoming film adaptation of classic television series, "Fantasy Island."
Can we produce enough green hydrogen to save the world?
by Jonathan O’Callaghan Around a fifth of all greenhouse gas emissions are produced by industries such as steel and cement so if we’re going to work towards an emission-free society...
Air Force to purchase $52M in Joint Programmable Fuses from Kaman
The Air Force has awarded Kaman Precision Products $52 million for the Joint Programmable Fuzes for use on Joint Direct Attack Munition and general purpose air-dropped bombs.
Fullerene compounds made simulation-ready
What in the smart nanomaterials world is widely available, highly symmetrical and inexpensive? Hollow carbon structures, shaped like a football, called fullerenes. Their applications range from artificial photosynthesis and nonlinear...
Germany tweaks law to limit diesel car bans
The German government will ease air pollution law so as to spare cities that only slightly exceed limits on harmful nitrogen dioxide (NO2) from diesel vehicle bans, ministers agreed Thursday,...
Look: Fergie's son wishes Josh Duhamel a happy birthday
Fergie captured a video of 5-year-old Axl singing and dancing to the Beastie Boys on Josh Duhamel's 46th birthday.
Next step on the path towards an efficient biofuel cell
Fuel cells that work with the enzyme hydrogenase are, in principle, just as efficient as those that contain the expensive precious metal platinum as a catalyst. However, the enzymes need...
Rapid, flexible water analysis creates industry stir
The EU-funded CYTO-WATER project has developed an innovative onsite analytical system capable of rapidly detecting different microorganisms in water.
Taking hydrogen mobility forward in Europe
In the drive to decarbonise Europe's transport sector, fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) offer crucial benefits. For one, their fuel – hydrogen – can be generated from a wide variety...
Terahertz laser pulses amplify optical phonons in solids
A study led by scientists of the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter (MPSD) at the Center for Free-Electron Laser Science in Hamburg/Germany presents evidence of...
Car-free Paris? It was already a dream in 1790
The debate over the place of cars in cities may seem like a recent one, but in fact was raging well before the first automobile even saw the light of...
Feeling the pressure with universal tactile imaging
Touch, or tactile sensing, is fundamentally important for a range of real-life applications, from robotics to surgical medicine to sports science. Tactile sensors are modeled on the biological sense of...
A professor's study of the fictional Hogwarts faculty
Melissa C. Johnson, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the Department of Focused Inquiry in Virginia Commonwealth University's University College, was initially skeptical of the Harry Potter phenomenon, even as...
Designer emulsions
ETH material researchers are developing a method with which they can coat droplets with controlled interfacial composition and coverage on demand in an emulsion in order to stabilise them. In...
Watch: Otter runs loose through Irish supermarket
Surveillance cameras at an Irish grocery store captured the unusual scene when an otter ran loose through the store.
Research uncovers the spontaneous polarization of novel ultrathin materials
Many materials exhibit new properties when in the form of thin films composed of just a few atomic layers. Most people are familiar with graphene, the two-dimensional form of graphite,...
Researchers take steps towards new sustainable battery alternative
A team of researchers led by Professor Thomas Nann from Victoria University of Wellington has created a new electrolyte that could be the key to making safer and more environmentally...
The weak force—life couldn't exist without it
David Armstrong studies a phenomenon that is ubiquitous in nature, yet only a few non-scientists know what it is.
Cold neutrons used in hot pursuit of better thermoelectrics
Thermoelectric devices are highly versatile, with the ability to convert heat into electricity, and electricity into heat. They are small, lightweight, and extremely durable because they have no moving parts,...
Research Uncovers the Spontaneous Polarization of Novel Ultrathin Materials
Many materials exhibit new properties when in the form of thin films composed of just a few atomic layers. Most people are familiar with graphene, the two-dimensional form of graphite,...
Nanotubes built from protein crystals: Breakthrough in biomolecular engineering
Researchers at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) have constructed protein nanotubes from tiny scaffolds made by cross-linking of engineered protein crystals. The achievement could accelerate the development of artificial...