Why Does Fertilizer (Sometimes) Explode? [Video]
Over the last century, the compound ammonium nitrate has been involved in at least 30 disasters and terrorist attacks. Under normal circumstances, it’s totally harmless…
Chemistry News
A New Way to Synthesize Hydrocarbons Could Reduce Dioxide Emissions and Slash Costs of Chemical Manufacturing
Room temperature conversion of CO2 to CO Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and their colleagues have demonstrated a room-temperature method…
Time for a New Contender in Energy Conversion and Storage
Combining distinctive properties of two-dimensional materials inspires research to reveal a new frontrunner. Evolutionary search has helped scientists predict the lowest energy structure of a…
MIT Developed a Controllable Membrane to Pull Carbon Dioxide Out of Exhaust Streams
Electrically switchable system could continuously separate gases without the need for moving parts or wasted space. A new system developed by chemical engineers at MIT…
How Coronavirus Can Be Stopped: 3D Atomic Map of COVID-19’s Viral Replication Mechanism
To better understand how the novel coronavirus behaves and how it can be stopped, scientists have completed a three-dimensional map that reveals the location of…
Synthetic Melanin Dyes Developed for Natural-Looking Hair Colors
Researchers created new dyes that use synthetic melanin to mimic natural hair pigmentation. We’ve long been warned of the risks of dyeing hair at home…
Searching for the Chemistry of Life: Possible New Way to Create DNA Base Pairs Discovered
In the search for the chemical origins of life, researchers have found a possible alternative path for the emergence of the characteristic DNA pattern: According…
Developing Novel Electrochemical Reactions to Decarbonize Our Energy Systems
MIT’s Yogesh Surendranath wants to decarbonize our energy systems: By developing novel electrochemical reactions, he hopes to find new ways to generate energy and reduce…
Ecological Power Storage Battery Made of Vanillin, the Main Flavor Component of Vanilla
Researchers at TU Graz have found a way to convert the aromatic substance vanillin into a redox-active electrolyte material for liquid batteries. The technology is…
Researchers Develop a Flexible Color-Changing Film Inspired by Chameleon Skin
Chameleons can famously change their colors to camouflage themselves, communicate, and regulate their temperature. Scientists have tried to replicate these color-changing properties for stealth technologies,…
How Water Can Affect Its Own Filtration to Create Highly Selective Membranes, Such As Virus Filters
Membranes with microscopic pores are useful for water filtration. The effect of pore size on water filtration is well-understood, as is the role of ions,…
Discovery of “Magic” Chemical That Makes Perfect Edges in 2D-Materials
Ultrathin materials such as graphene promise a revolution in nanoscience and technology. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have now made an important advance…
Near Infrared-Absorbing Hydrocarbon Revealed by Molecular Design Strategy
The lessons learned from a near infrared absorbing, bowl-shaped molecule made only from hydrogen and carbon atoms offers insights for future organic conductors. Nagoya University…
Tetrahedra May Explain Water’s Uniqueness – Special Qualities That Are Essential for Life
Researchers at the Institute of Industrial Science at The University of Tokyo sifted through experimental data to probe the possibility that supercooled water has a…
Metallic Glass: One Step Closer to Solving a Major Problem of Hydrogen Energy
A team of scientists from Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) together with their colleagues from Austria, Turkey, Slovakia, Russia (MISIS, MSU), and the UK found…
Searching for the Chemistry of Life: Possible New Way to Create DNA Base Pairs
In the search for the chemical origins of life, researchers have found a possible alternative path for the emergence of the characteristic DNA pattern: According…
Switching Voltage of an Electrode Alone Can Fine-Tune the Reactivity of a Molecule
One Electrode Fits All Functional Groups As we learned in chemistry class, chemical reaction occurs with the formation or cleavage of bonds between atoms. These…
Stretchable Conductive Hydrogel Developed That Could Help Repair Damaged Nerves
Injuries to peripheral nerves — tissues that transmit bioelectrical signals from the brain to the rest of the body — often result in chronic pain,…
