Oxidation and reduction are complementary electron-transfer processes that underpin redox chemistry and many biological and industrial transformations. Oxidation is defined as the loss of electrons, an increase in oxidation state, or, in many covalent systems, gain of electronegative substituents (e.g., oxygen) or loss of electropositive ones (e.g., hydrogen). Reduction is the gain of electrons, a decrease in oxidation state, or the converse change in bonding pattern. In any redox reaction, electrons are conserved and transferred from a reductant (electron donor) to an oxidant (electron acceptor), often mediated by redox couples, half-reactions, and characterized quantitatively by standard reduction potentials.
NASA's Carbothermal Reduction Demonstration (CaRD) project has completed an important step toward using local resources to support human exploration on the moon. The CaRD team performed integrated prototype testing that used ...
Space Exploration
Feb 13, 2026
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Ammonia, a key part of nitrogen fertilizers, is central to sustaining global food production. However, its manufacture is also energy intensive: Ammonia production requires 2% of global energy to meet global demand. Approximately ...
Bio & Medicine
Feb 4, 2026
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36
Researchers at the University of Hamburg, the University of Toulouse, and the DESY and ESRF research institutes have observed for the first time in real time how iron-sulfur nanostructures form in solutions. Using time-resolved ...
Nanomaterials
Jan 28, 2026
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21
Scientists at Oregon State University have developed a new nanomaterial that triggers a pair of chemical reactions inside cancer cells, killing the cells via oxidative stress while leaving healthy tissues alone. The study ...
Bio & Medicine
Jan 27, 2026
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155
Even with regular brushing, teeth can become stained from genetic factors or consuming foods and drinks like tomatoes and coffee. Chemical whiteners can help, but they can also damage teeth in the process. So, researchers ...
Bio & Medicine
Jan 26, 2026
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Graphene has drawn attention as a scientific curiosity owing to its record conductivities, strength and thermal properties. But now, it's starting to make its way into a number of real-world applications, from batteries to ...
Catalysts are the invisible engines of hydrogen energy, governing both hydrogen production and electricity generation. Conventional catalysts are typically fabricated in granular particle form, which is easy to synthesize ...
Nanomaterials
Jan 23, 2026
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93
By resurrecting a 3.2-billion-year-old enzyme and studying it inside living microbes, researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have created a new way to improve our understanding of the origins of life on Earth ...
Astrobiology
Jan 22, 2026
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73
CO2 reduction to storable fuels or valuable chemical products provides a carbon-neutral cycle that can mitigate the rapid consumption of fossil fuels and increasing CO2 emissions. Although solar-driven CO2 reduction holds ...
Nanomaterials
Jan 20, 2026
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22
Gold nanorods are promising photocatalysts that can use light energy to drive chemical reactions—such as converting CO₂ into usable fuels or producing hydrogen from water. In this process, the nanorods act like tiny antennas ...
Nanophysics
Jan 15, 2026
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