New Polymer Membrane Tech Improves Carbon Capture Efficiency
Scientists have developed a new membrane technology that allows for more efficient removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) from mixed gases, such as power plant emissions….
Polymers
Plastic-Eating Enzyme Could Supercharge Recycling and Eliminate Billions of Tons of Landfill Waste
A new enzyme variant can break down environment-throttling plastics that typically take centuries to degrade in just a matter of hours to days. It was …
Environmentally Friendly, Self-Templating Supramolecular Polymer Synthesis
A green method for producing crystalline supramolecular fibers promises to make polymer production more sustainable. A polymer that catalyzes its own formation in an environmentally…
MIT Researchers Propose a New Way To Create Synthesizable Molecules
An efficient machine-learning method uses chemical knowledge to create a learnable grammar with production rules to build synthesizable monomers and polymers. Chemical engineers and materials…
Bacterial Enzyme Makes New Type of Biocompatible, Biodegradable Polymer
Strings of sugars called polysaccharides are the most abundant biopolymers on Earth. Because of their versatile and environmentally friendly properties, these molecules could eventually replace…
Stronger and Faster Than Lightning: Scientists Achieve Rare Quantum State in Polycrystals
Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Paderborn University, and the University of Konstanz have succeeded in achieving a rare quantum state. They…
Turning Trash Into Treasure: Chemists’ Radical Way To Make It Easier, More Profitable To Recycle Plastic
By modifying carbon-hydrogen bonds, chemists at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill transform plastic trash into tougher, stronger material. The United States generates more…
MIT’s New Plant-Derived Material Is Tough As Bone and Hard As Aluminum
The material could pave the way for sustainable plastics. The strongest part of a tree lies not in its trunk or its sprawling roots, but…
Rice University Creates Effective Recipe To Decontaminate Disposable COVID Facemasks at Home
Heating PPE to the right degree kills 99.9% of SARS-CoV-2 virus without degrading material. Here’s the recipe to decontaminate a disposable facemask: Heat it at…
Binding Polymer Discovery Gives 3D-Printed Sand Super Strength
Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory designed a novel polymer to bind and strengthen silica sand for binder jet additive manufacturing,…
New Material Derived From Trees Could Pave Way for Better, Safer Batteries
A material derived from trees could potentially replace liquid electrolytes in next-generation batteries. In pursuit of batteries that deliver more power and operate more…
Plants From Plastics: Transforming Bio-Based Polymers Into Fertilizer
Plastics have taken the world by storm over the last century, finding applications in virtually every aspect of our lives. However, the rise of these…
On-Water Creation of Conducting MOF Nanosheets for Future Sensors and Energy Devices
Spontaneous wide-area spreading of oil on water inspires a facile energy-saving route of crafting electrically conductive nanostructures for future sensor/energy devices. Oil and water do…
A New Approach for Recycling Plastics
Each human being uses, on average, 30 kg of plastic per year. Given that global life expectancy currently stands at approximately 70 years, each person…
New Polymer Can Boost Solar Cell Performance
Skoltech researchers and their colleagues have synthesized a new conjugated polymer for organic electronics using two different chemical reactions and shown the impact of the…
High-Energy Shape Memory Polymer Could Help Robots Flex Their Muscles
When stretched or deformed, shape memory polymers return to their original shapes after heat or light is applied. These materials show great promise for soft…
Water Coolers Can Release Potentially Harmful Compounds Into Drinking Water
Watercoolers have become a staple in homes, offices and schools, but their tanks and parts are made of materials that could release unwanted or potentially…
New Dye Molecule Constructed for Visualizing Stress in Plastics
Research team led by Chemnitz University of Technology develops dyes that continuously translate stress plastics by changing color. A research team led by Prof. Dr….
