http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. (Phys.org) —Advanced biofuels – liquid fuels synthesized from the sugars in cellulosic biomass – offer a clean, green and renewable alternative to gasoline, diesel and jet fuels. Bringing the costs of producing these advanced biofuels down to competitive levels with petrofuels, however, is a major challenge. Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), a bioenergy research center led by Berkeley Lab, have taken another step towards meeting this challenge with the development of a new technique for pre-treating cellulosic biomass with ionic liquids - salts that are liquids rather than crystals at room temperature. This new technique requires none of the expensive enzymes used in previous ionic liquid pretreatments, and makes it easier to recover fuel sugars and recycle the ionic liquid. http://phys.org/news287334247.html Chemistry Thu, 09 May 2013 16:04:16 EST news287334247 Over 20 million people in Europe suffer from osteoarthritis which can lead to extensive damage to the knee and hip cartilage. Stem cells offer a promising way forward but a key challenge has been to design a 'smart material' that is biologically effective for cartilage tissue regeneration. Now researchers have identified a blend of naturally occurring fibres such as cellulose and silk that makes progress towards affordable and effective cell-based therapy for cartilage repair a step closer. http://phys.org/news287144606.html Chemistry Tue, 07 May 2013 11:23:39 EST news287144606 (Phys.org) —Like the Roman god Janus, methane presents Earth's atmosphere with two situational faces. As the main component of natural gas, methane when burned as a fuel produces less carbon dioxide than the burning of oil or coal, which makes it a plus for global climate change. However, pure methane released into the atmosphere via leaks from unconventional oil and gas extraction, coal mining or from the melting of Arctic ice is an even more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, contributing an estimated 30-percent of current net climate warming. To exploit the good and blunt the bad, effective ways of separating and capturing methane must be found. This presents a huge challenge, however, as methane, unlike carbon, interacts poorly with most other materials, making it difficult to physically capture. http://phys.org/news286034825.html Chemistry Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:08:45 EST news286034825 Ionic liquids (ILs), which can be thought of as salts that are molten at room temperature, are being studied for use as part of CO2 adsorption and/or separation technologies. These applications depend on having strong interactions between the CO2 and the ions of the IL. In order for significant advances to occur in this area of research, the interaction between the CO2 and each IL must be understood and described with accuracy. Computational methods are used to describe these interactions on a molecular level. http://phys.org/news284106783.html Chemistry Tue, 02 Apr 2013 07:34:46 EST news284106783 Research by scientists from Queen's University Belfast on ionic liquid chemistry has been named the 'Most Important British Innovation of the 21st Century'. http://phys.org/news283511387.html Chemistry Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:10:07 EST news283511387 (Phys.org) —A University of Delaware research group has reported a spontaneous case of vesicle formation in the Journal of American Chemistry. The discovery was recently highlighted on the journal cover and the significance discussed in a Spotlight article. http://phys.org/news281347487.html Chemistry Fri, 01 Mar 2013 08:20:05 EST news281347487 Yttria stabilized zirconia, also known as YSZ, is a material of great interest because of its relatively high oxygen-ion based conductivity. In particular, it finds applications in electrochemical devices, such as solid oxide fuel cells and oxygen sensors. In a study published in European Physical Journal B, Kia Ngai, from the University of Pisa in Italy, and colleagues from the Complutense University in Madrid, Spain, devised a model of the oxygen-ion dynamics that contribute to the conductivity of YSZ. http://phys.org/news281190530.html Physics Wed, 27 Feb 2013 12:29:01 EST news281190530 (Phys.org)—A licensing agreement for a novel renewable chemical and biofuel production method between Hyrax Energy and the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation promises to accelerate commercial development of the technology and lead to high-quality U.S. jobs. http://phys.org/news270284405.html Chemistry Wed, 24 Oct 2012 08:10:02 EST news270284405 (Phys.org) -- Engineers from several research organizations working together in Japan have developed a working prototype of a Mott transistor, a possible alternative to the standard silicon based field-effect transistor (FET). The prototype, as the team describes in their paper published in the journal Nature, used a new type of material, called a Mott insulator that changes from a resistor to a metal when an electric charge is introduced. http://phys.org/news262502312.html Nanotechnology Thu, 26 Jul 2012 06:19:15 EST news262502312 (Phys.org) -- The problem with lithium ion batteries, the kind used in cars, cellphones and other devices, is that they don’t hold enough energy relative to their size. Small batteries mean constantly recharging your phone while big batteries add a lot of weight and cost to the price of an electric car. What’s needed, most experts agree, is a new kind of electrolyte, the material that sits between the anode and cathode in a lithium ion battery. Now a new startup thinks they’ve found it. Called Iolyte, the new material is flame retardant, doesn’t evaporate and is able to hold more charge than current electrolytes. http://phys.org/news258104459.html Technology Tue, 05 Jun 2012 09:20:01 EST news258104459 (Phys.org) -- Using new experimental methods and computational analysis, a team of scientists from the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI), led by Lawrence Livermore's Michael Thelen, discovered how certain bacteria can tolerate manmade toxic chemicals used in making biofuels. http://phys.org/news256233172.html Chemistry Mon, 14 May 2012 16:54:52 EST news256233172 (PhysOrg.com) -- Worse than toddlers on a sugar high, carbon dioxide molecules just don't like standing still. The tiny molecules, just three atoms, leap from place to place in less than a trillionth of a second. Yet, scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the University of Wisconsin-Parkside found a way to get clear pictures. They used computer simulations to get detailed images of carbon dioxide reacting with an ionic liquid's surface. The images show that the surface's molecular strata increases the energy needed for the gas to move into the liquid.  They also found that carbon dioxide and water molecules arrange themselves differently once these molecules get close to the surface, based on how the molecule's electrons are spaced. http://phys.org/news246085636.html Chemistry Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:07:37 EST news246085636 No less than one third of a car's fuel consumption is spent in overcoming friction, and this friction loss has a direct impact on both fuel consumption and emissions. However, new technology can reduce friction by anything from 10% to 80% in various components of a car, according to a joint study by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) in USA. It should thus be possible to reduce car's fuel consumption and emissions by 18% within the next 5 to 10 years and up to 61% within 15 to 25 years. http://phys.org/news245585920.html Technology Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:19:10 EST news245585920 In order to realize the full potential of advanced biofuels that are derived from non-food sources of lignocellulosic biomass—e.g., agricultural, forestry, and municipal waste, and crops such as poplar, switchgrass and miscanthus—new technologies that can efficiently and cost-effectively break down this biomass into simple sugars are required. Existing biomass pretreatment technologies are typically derived from the pulp and paper industry and rely on dilute acids and bases to break down the biomass. The treated biomass product is then exposed to biological catalysts, or enzymes, to liberate the sugars. http://phys.org/news228652536.html Chemistry Thu, 30 Jun 2011 11:35:45 EST news228652536 Ionic liquids have emerged as promising new solvents capable of disrupting the cellulose crystalline structure in a wide range of biomass feedstocks. http://phys.org/news228122288.html Chemistry Fri, 24 Jun 2011 08:20:00 EST news228122288 (PhysOrg.com) -- Many rockets, satellites, and spacecraft are driven by hydrazine, sometimes with an oxidizing agent like nitric acid or dinitrogen tetroxide. When filling tanks with these highly toxic substances, technicians must wear full protective clothing—and a failed launch can lead to significant environmental damage. Researchers are thus looking for alternatives that are more environmentally friendly and less toxic, but just as powerful—requirements that are hard to meet in a single material. http://phys.org/news225693061.html Chemistry Fri, 27 May 2011 05:32:43 EST news225693061 (PhysOrg.com) -- Japanese researchers, led by Masashi Kawasaki, have discovered that a previously known kind of double layered material created using electrostatic doping can be used as a superconductor. http://phys.org/news225365804.html Physics Mon, 23 May 2011 11:10:01 EST news225365804 (PhysOrg.com) -- The separation of olefins and paraffin, two hydrocarbon compounds in petroleum waste streams, is a heavy expense for the petrochemical industry. The existing technology consumes a lot of energy because the olefin-paraffin pairs have similar boiling and evaporation properties, making it difficult and costly to separate them. Companies are looking for techniques that reduce energy consumption and that economically recycle such waste streams. http://phys.org/news224835530.html Chemistry Tue, 17 May 2011 07:19:39 EST news224835530 (PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists at the NRL Materials Science and Technology Division are providing solid evidence that there is a new route towards developing novel, lightweight energy storage devices. By moving away from centuries of caustic, hazardous aqueous-based battery cells and instead using non-volatile, thermally-stable ionic liquids, scientists predict multiple new types of batteries. Rather than depend on highly acidic electrolytes, ionic liquids are used to create a solid polymer electrolyte composed of an ionic liquid and polyvinyl alcohol, developing novel types of solid state batteries with discharge voltages ranging up to 1.8 volts. http://phys.org/news222077328.html Chemistry Fri, 15 Apr 2011 09:09:36 EST news222077328 (PhysOrg.com) -- A new, more environmentally friendly method of separating oil from tar sands has been developed by a team of researchers at Penn State. This method, which utilizes ionic liquids to separate the heavy viscous oil from sand, also is capable of cleaning oil spills from beaches and separating oil from drill cuttings, the solid particles that must be removed from drilling fluids in oil and gas wells. http://phys.org/news219665074.html Space & Earth Fri, 18 Mar 2011 11:05:10 EST news219665074 Two tiny molecular layers in a liquid that traps carbon dioxide constantly swap places, influencing how much of the greenhouse gas is absorbed, according to scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, University of Wisconsin, and Louisiana Tech University. The scientists made this discovery after building a computational model and studying the carbon capture liquid, known as BMIMF4. This research graced the cover of the Journal of Physical Chemistry B. http://phys.org/news209642403.html Chemistry Mon, 22 Nov 2010 10:00:50 EST news209642403 Scientists at the University of Leicester are spearheading the development of new ways to replace harmful, carcinogenic, toxic acids and electrolytes which are currently used in many commercial metal finishing and energy storage processes. http://phys.org/news182079096.html Chemistry Thu, 07 Jan 2010 09:38:53 EST news182079096 (PhysOrg.com) -- Water contaminated with mercury is very dangerous for both people and the environment, as mercury is one of the most toxic heavy metals. Though laboratory analyses do deliver precise quantitative measurements, they require expensive equipment, take a long time, and cannot be carried out on-location. http://phys.org/news180680600.html Chemistry Tue, 22 Dec 2009 05:03:58 EST news180680600 (PhysOrg.com) -- Ionic liquids are molecular solutions that have a wide range of potential applications, including next-generation solar cells, hydrogen fuel cells and lithium batteries. http://phys.org/news177346176.html Chemistry Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:10:01 EST news177346176 (PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at Texas Tech University, Queen's University in Belfast, Ireland, the University of Rome and the National Research Council in Italy recently made a discovery about the non-uniform chemical compositions of ionic liquids that could lead to greater understanding and manipulation of these multi-purpose, designer solvents. http://phys.org/news177087904.html Physics Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:20:05 EST news177087904 (PhysOrg.com) -- A spinoff company from Arizona State University plans to build a new battery with an energy density 11 times greater than that of lithium-ion batteries for just one-third the cost. With a $5.13 million research grant from the US Department of Energy awarded last week, Fluidic Energy hopes to turn its ultra-dense energy storage technology into a reality. http://phys.org/news176646131.html Technology Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:23:03 EST news176646131 Scientists at The University of Nottingham have overcome one of the significant research challenges facing electrochemists. For the first time they have found a way of probing right into the heart of an electrochemical reaction. http://phys.org/news173363726.html Chemistry Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:50:01 EST news173363726 (PhysOrg.com) -- Separating carbon dioxide from its polluting source, such as the flue gas from a coal-fired power plant, may soon become cleaner and more efficient. http://phys.org/news167490968.html Chemistry Wed, 22 Jul 2009 14:16:51 EST news167490968 They've been dubbed "grassoline" - second generation biofuels made from inedible plant material, including fast-growing weeds, agricultural waste, sawdust, etc. - and numerous scientific studies have shown them to be prime candidates for replacing gasoline to meet our transportation needs. However, before we can begin to roll down the highways on sustainable, carbon-neutral grassoline, numerous barriers must be overcome, starting with finding ways to break lignocellulosic biomass down into fermentable sugars. http://phys.org/news166471491.html Biology Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:05:22 EST news166471491 Scientists at Queen's University Belfast have discovered a new eco-friendly way of dissolving wood using ionic liquids that may help its transformation into popular products such as bio fuels, textiles, clothes and paper. http://phys.org/news162034269.html Chemistry Wed, 20 May 2009 10:31:35 EST news162034269