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Polymers news
E. coli dons polymer 'Superman cape' for sustainable chemical production
Trillions of bacteria work in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, helping produce everything from beer and facial creams to biodiesel and fertilizer. The pharmaceutical industry, in particular, relies heavily on bacteria ...
Biochemistry
7 hours ago
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Nature inspires self-assembling helical polymer
Helical structures are ubiquitous across biology, from the double-stranded helix of DNA to how heart muscle cells spiral in a band. Inspired by this twisty ladder, researchers from Hiroshima University's Graduate School of ...
Polymers
Dec 10, 2024
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Scientists solve one of the hardest problems in the computational atomic-scale mechanics of materials
Currently employed computational methods to simulate materials and their mechanical behavior are based on molecular dynamics (MD) with atomistic force-fields. These methods provide an excellent description of the thermodynamically ...
Shape-changing polymer resembles animal movements with temperature shifts
A team of scientists has created a new shape-changing polymer that could transform how future soft materials are constructed. Made using a material called a liquid crystalline elastomer (LCE), a soft rubber-like material ...
Polymers
Dec 6, 2024
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Biodegradable polymers show promise for nutrient encapsulation and replacing microbeads in beauty products
Microplastics are an environmental hazard found nearly everywhere on Earth, released by the breakdown of tires, clothing, and plastic packaging. Another significant source of microplastics is tiny beads that are added to ...
Polymers
Dec 6, 2024
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Solving waste plastic processing with heat circulation: Researchers develop large-scale pyrolysis process
Dr. Byungwook Hwang's research team from the CCS Research Department at the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER) has successfully developed a process that applies the circulating fluidized bed technology, commonly used ...
Polymers
Dec 5, 2024
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New catalyst can convert methane into useful polymers
Although it is less abundant than carbon dioxide, methane gas contributes disproportionately to global warming because it traps more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, due to its molecular structure.
Polymers
Dec 4, 2024
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New hydrogel could preserve waterlogged wood from shipwrecks
From the RMS Titanic to the SS Endurance, shipwrecks offer valuable—yet swiftly deteriorating—windows into the past. Conservators slowly dry marine wooden artifacts to preserve them, but doing so can inflict damage. To ...
Polymers
Dec 3, 2024
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Machine learning helps optimize polymer production
Polymers, such as plastics, are essential in many aspects of life and industry, from packaging and cars to medical devices and optic fibers. Their value comes from diverse properties that are largely determined by their monomers—the ...
Polymers
Dec 2, 2024
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Team solves a nearly 200-year-old challenge in polymers to offer independent control of stiffness and stretchability
Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science have developed a new polymer design that appears to rewrite the textbook on polymer engineering. No longer is it dogma that the stiffer a ...
Polymers
Nov 27, 2024
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Harvesting water from air: Copolymer solution uses water-loving differential to induce desorption
Harvesting water from the air and decreasing humidity are crucial to realizing a more comfortable life for humanity. Water-adsorption polymers have been playing a key part in atmospheric water harvesting and desiccant air ...
Polymers
Nov 27, 2024
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Microwave-assisted synthesis route leads to record-breaking performance for CO₂ conversion
Turning carbon dioxide (CO2) into useful chemicals is a compelling avenue towards minimizing our CO2 emissions and curbing climate change. Photocatalysts, which can be designed to leverage energy from light to drive CO2 conversion, ...
Polymers
Nov 26, 2024
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Turning table scraps into biodegradable, single-use plastics
Researchers are using bacteria that eat food scraps to create a new kind of fully biodegradable plastic that reduces waste and could be less expensive to manufacture than current plastics are.
Biochemistry
Nov 26, 2024
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Study identifies path to design stable, durable polymer membranes for clean energy
Electrolytes that convert chemical to electrical energy underlie the search for new power sources with zero emissions. Among these new power sources are fuel cells that produce electricity.
Polymers
Nov 25, 2024
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Using sunlight to recycle black plastics: Researchers leverage additive to make materials chemically useful
Not all plastics are equal—some types and colors are easier to recycle than others. For instance, black foam and black coffee lids, which are often made of polystyrene, usually end up in landfills because color additives ...
Polymers
Nov 25, 2024
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Using light to create bioelectronics inside living organisms
Bioelectronics research and development of implants made of electrically conductive materials for disease treatment is advancing rapidly. However, bioelectronic treatment is not without complications. Researchers at Lund ...
Biochemistry
Nov 22, 2024
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Durable supramolecular plastic is fully ocean-degradable and doesn't generate microplastics
Researchers led by Takuzo Aida at the RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS) have developed a new durable plastic that won't pollute our oceans. The new material is as strong as conventional plastics and biodegradable, ...
Polymers
Nov 21, 2024
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Decontaminating toxic tires: Researchers show ability to remove toxic particles from end-of-life tires
Tires are an indispensable part of daily life. Without them, our vehicles would just be a bunch of assembled parts—convenient to sit in, but not effective for getting where you are going.
Polymers
Nov 20, 2024
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Self-assembling proteins can be used for higher performance, more sustainable skincare products
If you have a meticulous skincare routine, you know that personal skincare products (PSCPs) are a big business. The PSCP industry will reach $74.12 billion USD by 2027, with an annual growth rate of 8.64%. With such competition, ...
Biochemistry
Nov 20, 2024
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Transforming marine waste and carbonated water into hydrogels via CO₂ release behavior
Hydrogels, which are soft materials made of water-filled, crosslinked polymer networks, have a wide range of uses, from wound dressings to enhancing soil moisture for plant growth. They are formed through a process called ...
Polymers
Nov 18, 2024
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Other news
Unexpected shifts in cell populations revise understanding of aging process
Universal barcodes unlock fast-paced small molecule synthesis
Discovery cracks code for how nature's microbes build antibiotics
Scientists examine how roasting affects the perfect brew
Mediterranean coral gardens may inevitably be compromised
Supramolecular sorting machine separates aromatic and aliphatic compounds
Noninvasive imaging method can penetrate deeper into living tissue
Mathematician solves the moving sofa problem
As seas rise, marshes may still trap carbon and cool planet
