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Materials Science news
'Switchable' smart gel may pave way for next-gen drug delivery and sensing tech
University of Birmingham scientists have developed a new material that changes from a gel to a liquid-like state under ultraviolet light and can be rebuilt using heat or dismantled by acid.
Polymers
14 hours ago
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4
End-to-end design creates two low-cost materials to capture methane
Developing new materials to tackle pressing global issues is a gap-filled process that can leave potential climate solutions lost in unread academic papers and forgotten dissertations.
Analytical Chemistry
16 hours ago
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4
Novel plastic turns into a gas when heated—then reforms once cooled
In a study published in Macromolecules, researchers introduce a novel polymer that could simplify how materials are applied, removed and recycled by eliminating several complex processing steps used today.
Polymers
17 hours ago
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6
Dynamic surface reconstruction explains how copper sulfide catalysts tune CO₂ reduction
Copper sulfide (CuS) catalysts continuously reconstruct their surface during electrochemical CO2 reduction, reports a study from the Institute of Science Tokyo, Japan. By uncovering the mechanism behind the dynamic surface ...
Analytical Chemistry
19 hours ago
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6
Minnesota iron ore could be key to sustainable and lower cost semiconductor
For the first time, researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities have demonstrated that the low-purity iron ore prevalent in Minnesota can be used to create semiconductor-quality iron sulfide, also known as "fool's ...
Materials Science
Aug 15, 2026
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67
Rechargeable nickel reservoir enables nitrile production in organic solvents
Inspired by pumped-storage hydropower, a nickel-based redox reservoir enables spontaneous nitrile synthesis in organic solvents, while hydrogen gas is produced separately.
Analytical Chemistry
Aug 13, 2026
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5
Magnetic mystery in thorium clusters resolved by new study
Scientists from the University of Manchester's Department of Chemistry, Centre for Radiochemistry Research and Photon Science Institute, led by Professor Steve Liddle, have uncovered why a rare class of metal clusters appears ...
Analytical Chemistry
Aug 13, 2026
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One-step synthesis of catalysts that turn carbon dioxide into useful methane
A simple flame-synthesis method can produce highly active catalysts for converting carbon dioxide into methane, as reported by researchers from Science Tokyo. The team used flame-assisted spray pyrolysis to manufacture nickel–cerium ...
Analytical Chemistry
Aug 13, 2026
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7
New fiber-based electronic device generates power and detects harmful gas
Research teams have developed a multifunctional fiber-shaped electronic device capable of both generating electricity and detecting hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) gas. The achievement demonstrates that a single fiber can function ...
Materials Science
Aug 13, 2026
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5
Greener processing cuts cost of novel material for water decontamination
University of Birmingham scientists who used green chemistry to make a next-generation metal-organic framework (MOF) for capturing heavy metals from wastewater have shown that it is cheaper and more resource-efficient to ...
Analytical Chemistry
Aug 12, 2026
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5
Novel polymer membrane design improves high-purity hydrogen separation
In Nature Communications a research team led by Professor Tae-Hyun Bae of the KAIST Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering introduced hydrogen-selective transport pathways at the angstrom scale inside polymer ...
Polymers
Aug 12, 2026
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8
Fertilizer made from local rocks could help feed hungry in Africa
Food insecurity is a major problem in many parts of the world, particularly Africa, where more than 300 million people regularly go hungry. Now, using the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan, researchers ...
Biochemistry
Aug 12, 2026
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Light-controlled molecular switches offer exciting possibilities for future electronics, data storage
Whether it's neurons responding to electrical signals or plants stretching toward light, nature is filled with examples of biological materials that respond to their environment. Now, researchers want to develop new responsive ...
Polymers
Aug 12, 2026
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6
Recyclable glue bonds underwater in seconds and holds for years
Most glues need a dry surface to stick properly. Bonding materials underwater is challenging because water forms a thin film on any surface, so instead of an adhesive touching a material directly, it touches a layer of water, ...
Porous material can arrange disordered gas molecules into a crystal-like structure, study predicts
Capturing carbon or storing hydrogen to combat global warming requires compressing gases into sponge-like porous materials. Until now, gas molecules were thought to adsorb in a disordered manner throughout the pores. But ...
Analytical Chemistry
Aug 11, 2026
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42
Self-healing composite retains 92% sensing response after 10,000 strain cycles
Researchers have developed a polymer composite that combines vibration damping with reliable strain sensing. The material uses a thermoplastic polyurethane matrix containing UPy (2-ureido-4[1H]-pyrimidinone) units, which ...
Polymers
Aug 10, 2026
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24
New catalyst with 75% less platinum promises to reduce the cost of hydrogen fuel cells
The high cost of platinum is one of the main barriers to the wider adoption of hydrogen fuel cells. Now, researchers at IMDEA Materials Institute have developed a catalyst that delivers the same performance while using 75% ...
Analytical Chemistry
Aug 9, 2026
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138
Silver nanocatalysts switch reaction sites between power generation and hydrogen production
For the first time, researchers have discovered that the same silver (Ag) nanocatalyst operates at different reaction sites depending on whether a solid oxide cell is generating electricity or producing hydrogen. This finding ...
Materials Science
Aug 8, 2026
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51
Creating cleaner chemical reactions that run on oxygen and produce only water as waste
Oxygen provides the driving force for many vital chemical reactions. Two well-known examples include respiration, the process that allows living things to break down food to release its energy, and combustion, reactions that ...
Analytical Chemistry
Aug 7, 2026
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Photocatalytic method cleaves strong C–H bonds while preserving weaker C–Si bonds
α-Silyl alcohols are unique organosilicon compounds bearing a silyl group and a hydroxy group on the same carbon atom. Because these compounds serve as precursors to reactive species, such as carbanions and carbon radicals, ...
Analytical Chemistry
Aug 7, 2026
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New membrane accelerates purification of industrial solvents
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Chemists unlock Appel fluorination with potassium fluoride
Hiroshima blast debris reveals a previously unknown alloy
Waste CO₂ converts into graphite through a newly observed two-step process
A successful, sustainable catalyst for ethanol dehydrogenation
Rare satellite data reveal major limits in flood models
Existing drug could treat invasive canine oral tumors
