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Polymers news
Bamboo plastic could help predict how long biodegradable products last in seawater
Biodegradable plastics are usually sought after for their ability to break down quickly. However, this does not tell us how safely a product can be used before it degrades. A research team has developed a strong, biodegradable ...
Polymers
Apr 22, 2026
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Discovery of new polymer class provides compostable alternative to conventional thermoplastics
Researchers at the University of Bayreuth have discovered a new class of polymers as part of the work carried out within the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 1357 Microplastics. These polymers are characterized by biodegradable ...
Polymers
Apr 22, 2026
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Breakthrough sulfur polymer kills dangerous fungi and bacteria while sparing human and plant cells
Antimicrobial resistance is becoming a global burden in human health and food production, so affordable new materials are needed to overcome this growing problem. To answer the call, a multidisciplinary research team led ...
Polymers
Apr 21, 2026
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Floating biodegradable beads remove oil in 60 minutes and stay easy to recover
Floatable beads made from chitosan and cellulose acetate and enhanced with bentonite have been engineered to effectively clean oil from water. The beads showed good oil adsorption capacity while remaining easy to collect ...
Polymers
Apr 21, 2026
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Heat-loving enzyme reveals how plastic recycling could work near 70 °C
Among the various plastic recycling methods being explored, one promising approach is biological plastic recycling, also known as biorecycling, which utilizes enzymes or microorganisms to break down polymer molecules. One ...
Polymers
Apr 20, 2026
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Hollow-sphere catalyst enables greener production of 99% pure propene at room temperature
The world's appetite for propene (propylene) is growing faster than the chemical industry can keep up. This petrochemical product powers the production of acrylonitrile, propylene oxide, high-velocity fuels, and, most importantly, ...
Researchers create Olympic gels, a long-theorized class of DNA-based soft materials
An interdisciplinary research team led by Dr. Elisha Krieg at the Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (IPF) has successfully synthesized and characterized Olympic gels, a long-theorized class of soft materials. ...
Polymers
Apr 15, 2026
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Electrode technology achieves 86% efficiency for converting CO₂ into plastic precursors
In the process of converting carbon dioxide into useful chemicals such as ethylene—a key precursor for plastics—a major challenge has been the flooding of electrodes, where electrolyte penetrates the electrode structure and ...
Polymers
Apr 12, 2026
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Flux pathway reveals why mussel-like liquid phase separation can happen in seconds
Have you ever wondered how mussels instantly glue themselves to rocks, allowing them to survive the crushing force of ocean waves? They complete this process in under 30 seconds. Yet, in a laboratory, replicating this process ...
Polymers
Apr 11, 2026
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Light-driven method enables sustainable production of porous semiconducting polymers
Researchers at Koç University have developed a light-driven method to produce porous semiconducting polymers under ambient conditions without the need for metal catalysts. The study, led by Prof. Dr. Önder Metin from the ...
Polymers
Apr 7, 2026
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Polymers built inside the body through blood-catalyzed chemistry allow on-demand brain control
The 19th-century science fiction novel Frankenstein explores the idea of combining artificial materials with human body components, purely as a matter of imagination. Two centuries later, such concepts have become integral ...
The dual self-assembly network: A new chapter in 3D-printable hydrogels
In the world of advanced materials, the ultimate goal is to create a substance that possesses the adaptability of biological tissue: it must be strong enough to maintain its shape, yet fluid enough to be molded. The research ...
Polymers
Apr 5, 2026
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Domino polymerization provides a new route to versatile, degradable plastics
Plastic, once ingenious for its durability and versatility, has become a global environmental issue that is affecting every aspect of life. This, in turn, is fueling the development of degradable polymers as alternative solutions. ...
Polymers
Apr 3, 2026
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UV light method offers repeat recycling for acrylic plastics without the environmental cost
A breakthrough method for chemically recycling acrylic—one of the world's most widely used plastics—has been developed by researchers at the University of Bath. In contrast to conventional mechanical recycling, this method ...
Polymers
Apr 2, 2026
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Conductive hydrogel enables electrical and biochemical signal control
Many emerging medical technologies rely on seamless integration between biological systems and electronics. This requires materials that are soft, electrically conductive, and biologically active—properties that have been ...
Biochemistry
Mar 31, 2026
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Eco-friendly hair repair adds to more natural personal care product pipeline
Hair damaged by dyes, bleaching or harsh sunlight has just got special treatment. Green chemistry researchers at Flinders University are experimenting with plant-based oils to develop a promising new structural keratin-type ...
Biochemistry
Mar 29, 2026
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Revealing the origin of polarity inversion in polymer semiconductors
A research team led by Prof. Boseok Kang at Sungkyunkwan University has uncovered the origin of polarity inversion, a long-standing phenomenon in polymer semiconductors that occurs only in certain materials. The team, in ...
Polymers
Mar 28, 2026
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Breaking recalcitrant lignin bonds with electricity for conversion into value-added chemicals: An e-biorefinery
A research team led by Professor Jaehoon Kim at Sungkyunkwan University and Dr. Dong Ki Lee at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) has developed a highly efficient catalytic process that electrochemically ...
Biochemistry
Mar 27, 2026
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Generative AI for polymer design passes lab tests with a new dielectric material
The words on this page mean something because they are assembled in a particular order and follow the complex rules of grammar and syntax. Creating new chemical polymers follows a similar kind of structure, with rules about ...
Polymers
Mar 26, 2026
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Nitrile and latex gloves may cause overestimation of microplastics in the lab
Nitrile and latex gloves that scientists wear while they are measuring microplastics may lead to a potential overestimation of the tiny pollutants, according to a University of Michigan study, published in Analytical Methods.
Polymers
Mar 26, 2026
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