Latest science news in Physics & Chemistry
Ava DuVernay, Whoopi Goldberg elected to Academy's Board of Governors
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the new additions to the 2020-2021 Board of Governors.
Tiny pump builds polyrotaxanes with precision
Northwestern University researchers have developed the most precise way to build polyrotaxanes, a mechanically locked polymer for slide-ring gels, battery electrode materials and drug-delivery platforms.
Smallest cavity for light realized by graphene plasmons
Miniaturization has enabled technology like smartphones, health watches, medical probes and nano-satellites, all unthinkable a couple decades ago. Just imagine that in the course of 60 years, the transistor has...
Disordered proteins follow diverse transition paths as they fold and bind to a partner
Transition paths of macromolecular conformational changes such as protein folding are predicted to be heterogeneous. However, experimental characterization of the diversity of transition paths is extremely challenging because it requires...
A precise polyrotaxane synthesizer
Mechanically interlocked molecules are likely candidates for the design and synthesis of artificial molecular machines. Although polyrotaxanes have already found niche applications in exotic materials with specialized mechanical properties, efficient...
h/e oscillations in interlayer transport of delafossites
Microstructures can be carefully designed to reveal the quantum phase of the wave-like nature of electrons in a metal. Here, we report phase-coherent oscillations of out-of-plane magnetoresistance in the layered...
Chloride-mediated selective electrosynthesis of ethylene and propylene oxides at high current density
Chemicals manufacturing consumes large amounts of energy and is responsible for a substantial portion of global carbon emissions. Electrochemical systems that produce the desired compounds by using renewable electricity offer...
Far-field excitation of single graphene plasmon cavities with ultracompressed mode volumes
Acoustic graphene plasmons are highly confined electromagnetic modes carrying large momentum and low loss in the mid-infrared and terahertz spectra. However, until now they have been restricted to micrometer-scale areas,...
Plastic in the deep sea: Virtually unaltered after a quarter of a century
Plastic products are durable. On one hand this is a great advantage, but on the other hand, if the plastic enters the environment, this advantage turns into a problem. According...
Research with industry executives reveals impact of COVID-19 on air transport sector
Cranfield-led research has assessed the initial impact of COVID-19 on air transport and found that it is likely to lead to a smaller, consolidated sector in the future.
A breakthrough in developing multi-watt terahertz lasers
Terahertz lasers could soon have their moment. Emitting radiation that sits somewhere between microwaves and infrared light along the electromagnetic spectrum, terahertz lasers have been the focus of intense study...
Novel noncovalent bond blocks repulsive odor of isocyanides
Isocyanides are an important class of organic compounds owing to a wide range of chemical transformations they can undergo. These molecules are employed for the synthesis of various pharmaceuticals, polymers,...
Trying to make green hydrogen work in Europe
Decarbonizing hydrogen will take time, thought, and investment, but Europe's industry says it is committed
Matrix imaging: an innovation for improving ultrasound resolution
In conventional ultrasounds, variations in soft tissue structure distort ultrasound wavefronts. They blur the image and can hence prove detrimental to medical diagnosis. Researchers at the Institut Langevin (CNRS/ESPCI Paris-PSL)1...
Lights in the eyes for better disguise
This hatchetfish hides from predators swimming in the shadowy depths below using a clever disguise. Glowing spots on its belly make it nearly invisible against the sunlit waters above. But...
PGA honors George Floyd with 8:46 a.m. tee time at Charles Schwab Challenge
Golfers and caddies participated in a moment of silence to recognize the late George Floyd during the first round of the Charles Schwab Challenge at 8:46 a.m. CDT Thursday in...
Reaction microscope 'X-rays' individual molecules
For more than 200 years, we have been using X-rays to look inside matter, and progressing to ever smaller structures -from crystals to nanoparticles. Now, physicists have achieved a qualitative...
Extremely brilliant giga-electron-volt gamma rays from a two-stage laser-plasma accelerator
Laser-wakefield accelerators have led to the development of compact, ultrashort X-ray or gamma-ray sources to deliver peak brilliance, similar to conventional synchrotron sources. However, such sources are withheld by low efficiencies and limited...
Building with DNA
Life on Earth developed from inanimate components. Can we recreate this process in the laboratory, and what tools do we need for this? Using DNA origami, the art of folding...
New findings help design highly efficient metal oxide catalyst for ozone removal
Atmospheric ozone (O3) has become one of the major air pollutants. Catalytic decomposition is one efficient and economical technology in O3 removal, where metal oxides can serve as cost-effective catalysts...
Researchers synthesize silicon-based quantum dots
NDSU researchers recently developed a new method of creating quantum dots made of silicon. Quantum dots, or nanocrystals, are tiny nanometer-scale pieces of semiconductor that emit light when their electrons...
U.S. can reach 90% clean energy by 2035 without higher costs, report says
The United States can deliver 90 percent clean, carbon-free electricity nationwide by 2035, dependably, at no extra cost to consumer bills and without the need for new fossil fuel plants,...
Clean water ponds boost rare wetland plants, study reveals
Digging ponds in the countryside can deliver unprecedented gains for nature, according to a study involving the University of York.
Advanced nanotechnology to improve success of dental implants
A technological advancement that may prove crucial in the long-term success of dental implants has been developed by University of Queensland researchers.
Exotic electron-electron interactions found unnecessary for conduction in nickelates
Some metal oxides, such as nickelates, have a tuneable resistivity, which makes them an interesting material for adaptable electronics and cognitive computing. These materials can change their nature from metallic...
Novel material outperforms standard catalysts in zinc-air batteries
Thin sheets of a trimetallic nitride allow Zn-air battery fibers to perform efficiently even when twisted
New topological materials could have multiple electrical properties
This it is the story of a unique material—made of a single compound, it conducts electrons in different ways on its different surfaces and doesn't conduct at all in its...
Physics principle explains order and disorder of swarms
Current experiments support the controversial hypothesis that a well-known concept in physics—a critical point—is behind the striking behavior of collective animal systems. Physicists from the Cluster of Excellence Centre for...