https://phys.org/chemistry-news/analytical-chemistry/ en-us The latest science news on analytical chemistry Computers have made it easier than ever before to design the perfect material for a given problem: Scientists can create a virtual version and simulate how that material will behave. Building these atomically precise simulations, however, typically requires deep expertise in computational chemistry. At the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, researchers have developed a kind of shortcut, streamlining scientific workflows using artificial intelligence (AI). https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ai-framework-battery-combustion-materials.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 07 Jul 2026 16:00:01 EDT news702654727 Quantum states can be precisely controlled with the help of tiny carbon rings measuring only a few nanometers in size. This is made possible by a class of rarely used electromagnetic dipoles called toroidal moments. Using computer simulations, physicists at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (MLU) have now found a way to generate and control these nanostructures without any loss. The findings are published in npj Computational Materials and create new opportunities for quantum computer technology. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-tiny-carbon-enable-quantum.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 07 Jul 2026 13:00:08 EDT news702638994 Nitrenes are the ghosts of synthetic chemistry, formed in an instant and gone just as quickly, rearranging into something entirely different. These highly reactive intermediates are widely used in synthesis, yet remain notoriously difficult to study because they rapidly transform into more stable structures through a process called 1,2-migration. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-chemists-capture-elusive-borylnitrene-crystal.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 06 Jul 2026 09:00:10 EDT news702543159 Water is the most abundant liquid on Earth's surface, and it is highly anomalous compared with other liquids because it expands upon freezing. The anomalies in water have been linked to how its microscopic structure changes with temperature and pressure. However, there is no systematic scheme for characterizing these structural changes. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ai-systematic-framework-molecular-liquid.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 06 Jul 2026 05:00:07 EDT news702287022 Researchers at the University of Bayreuth and Forschungszentrum Jülich have demonstrated that specific light-sensitive enzymes—so-called sensor histidine kinases (SHKs)—transmit their signal through a light-controlled change in asymmetry. With their new study, the researchers contribute to a better understanding of a central mechanism of bacterial signal processing. This may help develop new tools for biomedicine or biotechnology. The findings are reported in the journal Science Advances. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-flips-bacterial-enzyme.html Biochemistry Thu, 02 Jul 2026 16:00:01 EDT news702217862 Solar cells and photocatalysts can be surprisingly inefficient. Despite light consisting of many wavelengths, the range that even highly efficient devices use is limited. Other wavelengths, especially long wavelengths, simply pass through the material without being used as energy. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-acceptor-molecule-upconverts-energy-green.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 01 Jul 2026 16:40:02 EDT news702134701 Organic molecular crystals can respond to external stimuli such as heat, light, and mechanical force, making them attractive candidates for next-generation functional materials. However, predicting how multiple intermolecular interactions cooperate or compete to govern crystal behavior remains a major challenge. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-crystal-principle-reveals-molecular-phase.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 01 Jul 2026 13:20:10 EDT news702124982 Shock-absorbing sneaker soles are likely made of polyurethane, a highly elastic and tough polymer. The ability of these elastomers to absorb impact without breaking is extremely important for practical applications. While multiple strategies exist for enhancing elastomer toughness, each has its limitations. However, achieving synergistic toughening by integrating all three mechanisms within a single material remains challenging. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-polymer-network-reconfigures-sequence-elastomers.html Polymers Wed, 01 Jul 2026 05:00:07 EDT news701967241 Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and their collaborators have demonstrated a promising new approach for converting methane—the primary component of natural gas—into liquid chemicals that are precursors for many industrial chemicals and fuels. The research, described in a paper just published in Advanced Functional Materials, shows how molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), an earth-abundant industrial catalyst, can be used with minimal tweaking to selectively convert methane into methyl peroxide and other liquid oxygenate compounds at temperatures below 100°C (212°F). Methyl peroxide is a precursor for making methanol, an energy-dense liquid fuel that can be transported easily. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-abundant-catalyst-methane-valuable-liquid.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 30 Jun 2026 19:20:03 EDT news702043741 Sialic acid is a natural sugar building block found on the surfaces of our cells. It acts as a protective and recognition molecule and plays a central role in the development of the nervous system. Following the modular principle, individual components can be swapped for new building blocks, thereby altering the properties of the sugar. Researchers at Hannover Medical School (MHH) have investigated how these building blocks reach their target. These fundamental findings are also significant because certain influenza and coronavirus strains specifically use modified sialic acids as receptors to enter host cells. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-sugar-block-viral.html Biochemistry Tue, 30 Jun 2026 14:20:05 EDT news702036482 Scientists around the world have been searching food, water and other environmental media for microplastics and for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). But microfluoroplastics (MFPs), the intersection between these two fields, have received much less attention. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-faster-reveal-fluoropolymer-microplastics-rarely.html Polymers Mon, 29 Jun 2026 18:30:01 EDT news701968561 Pioneering research has developed a new way of creating carbohydrate-based medicines that could ultimately replace costly drugs for common health conditions, using two cheap basic ingredients—table sugar and vinegar. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-table-sugar-cheaper-quicker-key.html Biochemistry Mon, 29 Jun 2026 17:00:09 EDT news701956748 There is growing demand for smart materials that can change their physical properties in response to various external stimuli such as light, heat, pressure, magnetic fields and electric fields. One such physical property is the magnetic state of material complexes, which depends on electronic spin states. Metal atoms in these complexes can change their spin state—between magnetic and nonmagnetic configurations—in response to light, heat or mechanical pressure. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-synthetic-chemical-framework-magnetic-states.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 29 Jun 2026 16:10:01 EDT news701965141 Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have developed a new way to use molecules as tiny data storage devices with a new manganese-based material. Until now, this was possible only with iron-containing molecular materials, which require very low temperatures—ranging from 100 to a maximum of 130 Kelvin (minus 173 to minus 143°C)—making their application significantly more difficult. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-states-manganese-ions-path-molecular.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 29 Jun 2026 13:20:08 EDT news701953803 Antibiotic resistance is becoming an accelerating crisis because of the overuse and misuse of antibiotics over many years. The problem is exacerbated when antibiotics wipe out susceptible bacteria but leave resistant bacteria behind to multiply, further spreading resistance. There is an ongoing search for new treatments to fight resistant bacteria, and now researchers may have found a way to successfully treat at least one type of resistant bacteria. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-compound-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria-defense.html Biochemistry Mon, 29 Jun 2026 12:20:06 EDT news701953801 Color-changing mood rings, forehead fever strips and car-shade indicators all change hues as they warm and cool, thanks to a phenomenon called thermochromism. On a smaller scale, thermochromism is used in nanotechnologies like sensors, electronics and computing. These applications require smart materials that can be patterned into designs without losing structural integrity, which can be difficult. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-uv-patterns-thermochromic-crystals.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 29 Jun 2026 10:20:03 EDT news701945222 Enzymes are regarded as the key to sustainable chemistry. Despite major advances in protein design, creating artificial enzymes from scratch has so far remained a grand challenge. A research team at the University of Bayreuth, in collaboration with scientists from the University of Ottawa, has now demonstrated how nonfunctional protein scaffolds can be transformed into highly active enzymes. The researchers report their findings in Nature Chemical Biology. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-workflow-nonfunctional-protein-scaffolds-enzymes.html Biochemistry Sat, 27 Jun 2026 12:00:01 EDT news701682571 Researchers have directly visualized a rare type of chemical bond between some of the heaviest elements in the periodic table, providing experimental evidence of how these atoms share electrons in systems where this has been difficult to prove. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-elusive-thoriumthorium-bonding-hirshfeld-atom.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 26 Jun 2026 11:01:16 EDT news701681463 Scientists from the University of Manchester have shown how a plasma-based approach, using nonthermal plasma—an electrically energized gas often described as the fourth state of matter—can prevent catalyst deactivation in a key hydrogen production reaction, maintaining stable performance for 30 hours while also changing how the reaction proceeds at the molecular level. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-plasma-approach-catalysts-longer-hydrogen.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 24 Jun 2026 18:10:01 EDT news701540161 Sugars are not just a source of energy—they also play a crucial role in how cells communicate, how proteins interact and how materials behave in medicine and industry. But studying these processes is challenging because sugar molecules are structurally complex and difficult to control. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-scientists-tunable-biomolecules-probe-sugars.html Biochemistry Wed, 24 Jun 2026 15:40:03 EDT news701524741 Researchers have developed a self-driving chemistry lab that can autonomously search through hundreds of catalyst recipes and reaction conditions to identify faster, more selective and more programmable ways to make important industrial chemicals. The work could accelerate catalyst discovery for industries ranging from pharmaceuticals and plastics to fuels and specialty chemicals. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-chemistry-lab-catalysts-products-demand.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 23 Jun 2026 18:50:01 EDT news701450462 Ice formation can damage biological samples, tissues and materials during freezing and thawing. In nature, specialized molecules known as ice-binding proteins prevent ice crystals from growing too large, helping organisms survive in extreme cold. Scientists have long tried to replicate this behavior using synthetic materials, but most designs have focused on how molecules interact with ice at their surface. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ice-crystal-growth-polymer-nanoparticles.html Polymers Tue, 23 Jun 2026 16:50:01 EDT news701448841 University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers have demonstrated a possible new avenue for developing flame-retardant and generally low-conductivity (low-heat-transfer) plastics that retain the benefits of being strong and flexible by limiting the accessibility of heat-carrying vibrational channels in the material. This new design framework has promising applications, including lightweight thermal insulation materials for spacesuits, thermal protection components for spacecraft, and advanced building materials that reduce heating and cooling losses. The study is published in the journal Materials Horizons. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-chaotic-polymer-vibrations-stronger-flexible.html Polymers Mon, 22 Jun 2026 18:30:01 EDT news701365982 Developing new medicines can require thousands of chemistry experiments to identify the right recipe for a safe, effective and ideally affordable drug. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-ai-drug-discovery.html Biochemistry Mon, 22 Jun 2026 17:40:03 EDT news701358901 Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a primary driver of climate change in Earth's atmosphere. At the State University of New York at Stony Brook (Stony Brook University), Ph.D. researcher Kuldeepsinh Raj, along with principal investigator Professor Nav Nidhi Rajput from the Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, are using clean electricity to develop chemical "recipes" to convert CO2 emissions into valuable fuels and products. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-machine-solvents-carbon-dioxide-electroreduction.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 22 Jun 2026 13:00:06 EDT news701350021 The main reason for sealing wine bottles with a cork is to protect the liquid from oxygen. However, it is not an impermeable barrier, and a small amount of air leaks in, which is not always entirely bad news. The gas helps the wine mature and develop a more complex flavor. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-oxygen-corked-wine-bottle.html Biochemistry Mon, 22 Jun 2026 10:40:06 EDT news701342311 Aptamers are short DNA or RNA strands that can recognize and bind to a specific target molecule with high precision. Similar to antibodies, they can be used to detect these molecules or modulate their activity. Unlike antibodies, they are much more stable, can be produced synthetically and can be chemically modified to achieve the desired properties. As a result, they can offer capabilities that cannot be achieved with antibodies. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-faster-aptamer-screening-synthetic-alternatives.html Biochemistry Sat, 20 Jun 2026 12:00:01 EDT news701014712 An international research team from Tohoku University, Tokyo University of Science, Vanderbilt University and the University of Adelaide has discovered a novel, exceptionally simple method to precisely synthesize extremely small iridium nanoclusters in ambient air. Such a feat was previously considered highly challenging. In addition, the nanoclusters outperform conventional, commercially available iridium catalysts by 1.5 times in mass activity, while maintaining sustained operational stability without degradation for more than 20 hours. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-atom-iridium-nanoclusters-stay-stable.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 19 Jun 2026 14:40:01 EDT news701091602 Companies working at the frontier of aerospace, energy and computing are constantly looking for new materials to improve performance. But in order to understand how those materials will actually behave once they're inside rockets or on computer chips, companies first have to make the material and then test it. That's because even the most powerful simulation techniques struggle to model the complex chemical arrangements in most of today's solid materials. The problem adds cost and time to materials innovation. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-technique-sharpens-metal-alloy-behavior.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 19 Jun 2026 14:00:01 EDT news701085478 Why settle for a trial-and-error approach, reviewing an almost endless number of combinations, when you can systematically narrow the list to something more manageable using established data and knowledge? https://phys.org/news/2026-06-options-standout-catalyst-screening-method.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 17 Jun 2026 15:00:08 EDT news700915802