https://phys.org/chemistry-news/analytical-chemistry/ en-us The latest science news on analytical chemistry Simulating how atoms and molecules move over time is a central challenge in computational chemistry and materials science. Classical machine learning approaches to molecular dynamics (MD) encode fundamental physical principles directly into their model architectures, most notably energy conservation and equivariance, the requirement that predicted forces remain consistent regardless of how a molecule is oriented in space. These so-called inductive biases have long been considered essential for reliable, physically meaningful MD models. But are they truly indispensable? https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ai-molecular-simulations-built-physics.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:50:03 EDT news696094081 Chemical reactions drive life. They ensure that cells obtain energy, proteins perform their functions, and DNA changes under certain conditions. However, many of these processes occur on extremely small scales—so small and so fast that they are difficult to observe directly through experiments. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-millions-atoms-shifting-bonds-software.html Biochemistry Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:00:05 EDT news696080881 Researchers at The University of Osaka have developed a catalyst that uses vibrational energy to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into carbon monoxide (CO), an important industrial feedstock. The work, published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A, demonstrates a new piezocatalytic route for CO2 conversion under mild conditions—at low temperature and ambient pressure, offering a potential path toward future low-energy carbon recycling technologies. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-vibrations-catalyst.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 22 Apr 2026 15:20:01 EDT news696077521 A new study sheds light on how hydrogen can be stored and released more effectively using magnesium hydride (MgH₂), offering fresh direction for clean energy technologies. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-barrier-catalysts-hydrogen-magnesium-hydride.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 22 Apr 2026 09:40:03 EDT news696068761 Researchers from Google DeepMind in Berlin, BIFOLD, and the Technical University of Berlin have introduced a new machine learning method—Euclidean Fast Attention (EFA)—that enables global atomic interactions in chemical systems to be represented more efficiently. This could allow chemical and materials science processes to be simulated more accurately in the future, potentially accelerating the development of new drugs, more efficient batteries, and more sustainable materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ai-method-captures-range-atomic.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 20 Apr 2026 17:50:02 EDT news695921161 In a world first, the team, led by Professor Stephen Liddle, discovered a new type of aromatic molecule made entirely of metal atoms, the heaviest of its kind ever confirmed. The team stabilized an extremely rare three‑atom ring of bismuth, held between two large metal atoms (uranium or thorium) in a structure known as an "inverse‑sandwich" complex. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-chemists-stabilize-rare-threeatom-metal.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 20 Apr 2026 16:00:08 EDT news695904841 Researchers have uncovered that an orthogonal molecular architecture directs the formation of a rare double-cable structure, offering a new blueprint for advancing the fundamental design of energy-active materials. By guiding charges to move along separate pathways, the new design minimizes energy loss and boosts clean energy generation. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-tiny-shift-big-solar-fuel.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 20 Apr 2026 11:20:05 EDT news695895142 Using a renewable energy source has multiple benefits, including reducing harmful emissions and dependence on fossil fuels while increasing efficiency. But many renewable energy sources have a higher cost than fossil fuels due to the materials needed to make them usable, such as platinum group metals (PGMs), and the high cost of storage. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-platinum-free-catalyst-hydrogen-energy.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 17 Apr 2026 14:20:01 EDT news695649842 Publishing in Communications Chemistry, researchers from Kyushu University have discovered a simple method of generating hydrogen gas by mixing methanol, sodium hydroxide, and iron ions, then irradiating the solution with UV light. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-iron-uv-alcohol-hydrogen-catalyst.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 17 Apr 2026 05:00:04 EDT news695568481 Researchers have developed a technique for detecting and measuring the concentration of many rare-earth elements in plants, without destroying the plant. The technique can be used to optimize "plant mining" efforts, in which plants take up and concentrate these critical materials so that they can be harvested for practical use. The paper is published in the journal Plant Direct. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-technique-rare-earth-metals.html Biochemistry Thu, 16 Apr 2026 18:50:01 EDT news695575922 Rising carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from human activities are the largest contributor to global warming. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global CO2 emissions reached an all-time high of 37.8 gigatons in 2024. While some of this CO2 is absorbed by soil, forests, and the oceans, a large fraction remains in the atmosphere, where it can persist for hundreds to thousands of years, leading to long-term impacts on the global climate. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-carbon-unraveling-roles-photocatalysis.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 16 Apr 2026 17:00:04 EDT news695568301 Hydrogen is at the heart of the transition to carbon neutrality, as both an energy carrier and a reagent for green chemistry. However, large-scale production of hydrogen via electrolysis, as well as the production of many other chemical products, requires significantly cheaper and more efficient catalysts. A precise understanding of the electrochemical processes that take place at the interface between the solid catalyst and the liquid medium is highly useful for developing better electrocatalysts. In the journal Nature Communications, a European team has now presented a powerful model that determines charge separation at the interface, the formation of the electric double layer and local electric potential variations, and the resulting influence on the catalytic activity. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-electric-layer-emerges-electrocatalyst-interface.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 16 Apr 2026 14:20:03 EDT news695561761 Advances in artificial intelligence promise to help chemical engineers discover complex new materials. These materials could be used for reactions such as turning carbon dioxide into fuel, but technical barriers have limited catalysis adoption so far. Researchers at the University of Rochester are now harnessing the benefits of large language models (LLMs) similar to ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini to empower more researchers to use AI to discover new materials and accelerate experiment workflows. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-ai-plain-language-prompts-lab.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 16 Apr 2026 09:20:05 EDT news695549103 The molecular structure of an enzyme from a marine bacterium with potential industrial uses has been determined by RIKEN researchers. The insights they have gained could help make a range of useful compounds through genetic modification. The research is published in the journal Chemical Science. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-marine-sponge-bacterium-enzyme-reveals.html Biochemistry Wed, 15 Apr 2026 19:10:02 EDT news695490542 A research team at Leipzig University has identified a mechanism in adhesion G protein-coupled receptors (adhesion GPCRs), a specific group of membrane receptors. This mechanism is essential for the activity of many of these receptors. The study, published in Nature Communications, shows that a specific interaction between two amino acids is indispensable for the self-cleavage of these receptors. This insight could pave the way for new therapies for cancer, neurological disorders and inflammatory diseases associated with malfunctioning adhesion GPCRs. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-hidden-receptor-paths-cancer-neurological.html Biochemistry Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:40:04 EDT news695482322 Every time you drive, board a plane or water your lawn, you're relying on a material that has quietly powered modern life for nearly a century—reinforced rubber. It's in car and aircraft tires, industrial seals, medical devices and countless everyday products. Yet despite its ubiquity and its central role in the $260 billion global tire industry, scientists have never fully understood why it works so well. Until now. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-scientists-year-mystery-rubber-powers.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 15 Apr 2026 16:30:01 EDT news695486101 Northwestern University chemists have discovered a new way to turn natural gas into liquid fuel—and it's lightning in a bottle. By harnessing tiny bursts of plasma—or mini "lightning bolts"—in glass tubes submerged in water, the team has successfully converted methane directly into methanol in a single step. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-bottled-lightning-cleaner-fuel.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 15 Apr 2026 08:00:01 EDT news695380021 The University of Wyoming's Lauren Kim has solved a persistent problem in the cutting-edge field of high-entropy alloys, a class of materials with great potential in modern engineering, electronics and energy applications—such as jet engines, nuclear reactors, chemical processing systems, batteries and supercapacitors—along with cryogenics systems. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-phd-student-persistent-problem-high.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 14 Apr 2026 17:30:01 EDT news695403421 Pollution released from our textiles is smaller and more irregular in shape than previously thought, according to new research led by The University of Manchester. In a study published in Scientific Reports, Manchester researchers—in collaboration with researchers from the University of East Anglia and Manchester Metropolitan University—have developed a new fluorescence-based method that dramatically improves the detection of microfibers released from textiles during washing and wear. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-fluorescent-technique-reveals-hidden-scale.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 14 Apr 2026 15:20:06 EDT news695386861 In a paper just out in Nature Synthesis, researchers led by Prof. Timothy Noël of the University of Amsterdam's Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences presented a breakthrough in autonomous laboratory systems for synthesis optimization. With an estimated cost of a mere $5,000, a versatile, modular design and the option for "human in the loop" analytics, RoboChem Flex caters to all synthesis laboratories, large or small. The paper provides all the information to build their own system. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-robotic-chemistry-built-deployed-lab.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 13 Apr 2026 19:40:02 EDT news695313269 Materials that emit and manipulate light are at the heart of technologies ranging from solar energy to advanced imaging systems. But even in well-studied materials, some fundamental behaviors remain unexplained. Researchers at Rice University have now solved a long-standing mystery in a widely used organic semiconductor, revealing how tiny structural imperfections can actually improve how these materials work. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-tiny-crystal-defects-decades-mystery.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 13 Apr 2026 18:30:04 EDT news695320082 Researchers at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) have used engineering biology—an emerging technology that uses nature's own processes to manufacture everyday chemicals and materials—to dramatically simplify how Lenacapavir is manufactured. A novel class of HIV antiretroviral drug, Lenacapavir offers long-acting protection against HIV transmission. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-cheaper-sustainable-breakthrough-hiv-drug.html Biochemistry Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:20:05 EDT news695303581 Rhodium is one of the most powerful catalytic metals known to chemistry. Small amounts of it can drive reactions that produce millions of tons of useful chemicals every year. But getting rhodium to work well—quickly, selectively, and without degrading—depends heavily on the ligands surrounding it. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-scientists-arsenic-lined-crystal-pore.html Analytical Chemistry Sun, 12 Apr 2026 17:00:01 EDT news695035888 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 of molecular self-assembly, known as liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), typically takes dozens of minutes, if not hours. A research team of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has recently solved this long-standing puzzle using large-scale molecular dynamics simulation and theoretical analysis, revealing the secret to nature's incredible speed and providing implications for instant biocompatible surgical glues. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-flux-pathway-reveals-mussel-liquid.html Polymers Sat, 11 Apr 2026 17:00:03 EDT news694882655 The halomethane compound bromoform (CHBr3) has devastating effects on the ozone layer. In the upper layers of the atmosphere, bromoform reacts with UV radiation, releasing bromine molecules which destroy ozone molecules. This reaction, however, has long puzzled scientists; the molecules involved seem to wander relative to each other in a way that energetically does not make sense. Scientists at European XFEL have now revealed structural evidence for this roaming mechanism for the first time, establishing it as a universal characteristic of photochemical reactions. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-bromoform-ozone-ultrafast-roaming-captured.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 10 Apr 2026 17:40:01 EDT news695047146 Iron and oxygen bind together throughout the body. Most famously, iron binds dioxygen, or two oxygens paired with each other, in hemoglobin that transports oxygen through blood. But iron-oxo compounds, as they're called, are found in many other places throughout the body. For example, the highly reactive iron-oxo is used in liver enzymes that metabolize drugs. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-scientists-block-metals-yield-oxygen.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 10 Apr 2026 17:00:03 EDT news695046062 A research team led by Prof. Sangwon Seo of the Department of Physics and Chemistry at DGIST has developed a catalytic technology that can easily and elaborately assemble key structural frameworks that serve as the scaffold of bioactive compounds. Using an abundantly available and inexpensive nickel (Ni) catalyst, the team has successfully synthesized β-methylene carbonyl derivatives, which form the core framework of many pharmaceuticals, exclusively in a single mirror-image isomer form. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-nickel-catalyst-enables-precision-mirror.html Biochemistry Thu, 09 Apr 2026 17:40:05 EDT news694970281 How do radicals form in aqueous solutions when exposed to UV light? This question is important for health research and environmental protection. For example, with regard to the overfertilization of water bodies by intensive agriculture. A team at BESSY II has now developed a new method of investigating hydroxyl radicals in solution. By using a clever trick, the scientists gained surprising insights into the reaction pathway. The findings are published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-hydroxyl-radicals-uv-exposed-reveal.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:40:01 EDT news694966861 Gas separation membranes are vital for carbon capture, biogas upgrading, and hydrogen purification, all of which require the separation of carbon dioxide from gases like nitrogen, methane and hydrogen. However, the membranes currently in use for these applications suffer from limitations like low throughput or performance under high pressure and humidity, low gas flow, instability, and reaction rate limits. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-membrane-filters-constant-adjustable-permeance.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:20:03 EDT news694957030 Insecticide-treated bed nets remain one of the most effective tools in malaria prevention, acting both as a physical barrier and as an insecticidal surface that kills or disables mosquitoes before they can transmit disease. New research by a multidisciplinary research team from the University of Liverpool and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) uses surface science to assess how well malaria nets perform. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-surface-chemistry-impacts-malaria-nets.html Biochemistry Thu, 09 Apr 2026 13:00:04 EDT news694954561