https://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. 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 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 Sunlight, water, air and metal-organic catalysts—that could be all it takes. TU Wien has shown how catalyst design can be advanced for solar-driven NH3 synthesis. Without this chemical technology, feeding the world as we know it would be nearly impossible. The Haber-Bosch process, developed more than a century ago, converts nitrogen from the air into ammonia—the key ingredient in most synthetic fertilizers. Today, roughly half of the world's food production depends on fertilizers derived from ammonia, making the Haber-Bosch process one of the most important industrial innovations in human history. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-catalyst-boosts-solar-driven-ammonia.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 10 Jun 2026 18:20:04 EDT news700321981 Plants are undeniably one of nature's most promising sources of new medicines, with monoterpenoid indole alkaloids (MIAs) being a great example. Some intricate compounds are built from multiple-linked chemical units that form highly complex three-dimensional structures. Because of their size and shape, scientists believe such oligomeric MIAs may be able to interfere with specific protein–protein interactions inside cells—a biological target that conventional small-molecule drugs often struggle to reach. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-chemists-total-synthesis-rare-alkaloid.html Biochemistry Mon, 08 Jun 2026 18:30:03 EDT news700157041 Two-dimensional (2D) materials, which are significantly thinner than a single sheet of paper, have long drawn attention for their exceptional performance. However, they have faced a critical limitation: Their performance degrades significantly when multiple layers are stacked. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-stacking-2d-conductor-layer-bulk.html Nanophysics Mon, 08 Jun 2026 15:50:02 EDT news700151762 This week, researchers reported that GLP-1 medications may influence the biology of aging. Hidden meltwater in deep Antarctic coastal waters has a strong climate impact. And a novel prostate cancer treatment reduced risk of disease progression by half in a clinical trial. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-saturday-citations-greenland-sharks-quantum.html Other Sat, 06 Jun 2026 09:00:01 EDT news699879140 A research group has developed a new method for selectively synthesizing three-dimensional macrocycles,⁽¹⁾ in which four panels are arranged in a square, by connecting planar π-conjugated molecules⁽²⁾ at right angles. https://phys.org/news/2026-06-strategy-conjugated-panels-square-molecules.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 05 Jun 2026 21:40:04 EDT news699875636 Researchers at Kyoto University and Tohoku University have developed a new porous polymer gel that selectively recognizes specific molecules (referred to as "guests" in the study) through coordination chemistry and converts these invisible molecular-scale interactions into strikingly visible, macroscale deformation. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-porous-gel-hardens-molecules.html Polymers Fri, 22 May 2026 17:00:01 EDT news698673541 A research team led by Hee-jung Lee, senior researcher at Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), in collaboration with Professor Sunghwan Park of Kyungpook National University and Professor Mingyu Kim of Yeungnam University, has developed a technology that enhances CO₂ adsorption performance in metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) by up to 75% through precise laser-based control of their internal structure. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-laser-treatment-reshapes-mof-pores.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 13 May 2026 11:04:33 EDT news697889042 Chemists at the University of Iowa have created a three-dimensional lattice that captures water from the air and stores it. In a new study appearing in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, researchers describe a millimeter-scale structure made of metal atoms connected by two types of organic molecules. When exposed to ultraviolet light, the material undergoes a chemical reaction that changes its shape, creating cavities throughout the lattice. Those cavities attract water molecules from the air and store them—like a multitude of tiny canteens. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-reshapes-metal-framework-harvest-airborne.html Materials Science Mon, 11 May 2026 16:40:03 EDT news697733439 RMIT University researchers have developed a new way to coat fragile surfaces, including living plant leaves, using high‑frequency sound waves to create a fine mist that can act like a plant sunscreen. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-mist-sunscreen.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 06 May 2026 19:10:02 EDT news697306261 Scientists have adapted a centuries-old principle of chemistry to fine-tune a new type of glass made from metal–organic frameworks (MOFs)—metal atoms connected by organic molecules—that efficiently trap gases like CO₂ and hydrogen and even capture water. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-scientists-generation-glass.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 04 May 2026 13:40:02 EDT news697117081 An international research team led by DTU has developed a new magnetic material that features a stable internal magnetic structure, almost no external magnetic field, and retains these properties above room temperature. These characteristics may be important for future generations of electronic technologies, for example, within fields where magnetic properties are used instead of electrical charge to process information—so-called spintronics. The results have been published in the journal Nature Chemistry. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-magnet-external-field-reshape-future.html Materials Science Sat, 25 Apr 2026 10:00:01 EDT news696169462 Researchers have demonstrated the first "all-in-one" cocatalyst for photocatalytic overall water splitting, a breakthrough that could simplify the production of clean hydrogen fuel. The discovery marks an important step toward practical technologies that use sunlight and water to generate hydrogen, a key energy carrier expected to play a major role in building a decarbonized and sustainable society. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-hydrogen-production-photocatalytic-cocatalyst.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 24 Apr 2026 16:20:01 EDT news696252902 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 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 Department of Chemistry, in collaboration with Dr. Melek Sermin Özer, Dr. Zafer Eroğlu, and Prof. Dr. Sermet Koyuncu, was published in Nature Communications. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-driven-method-enables-sustainable-production.html Polymers Tue, 07 Apr 2026 19:20:03 EDT news694796641 Control of heat transport in nanostructures is of central importance for numerous modern technologies—from high-performance computer chips that need to be cooled to energy converters—and is a highly active area of research. While great progress has been made in recent years in understanding how heat transport can be influenced by nanostructuring, it was previously unclear whether the replacement of a single atom in a molecule could measurably alter phonon transport—i.e. heat transport through lattice vibrations. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-atom-substitution-successfully-tunes-molecular.html Nanophysics Thu, 02 Apr 2026 17:20:01 EDT news694360621 Low-temperature CO2 hydrogenation might have sounded almost paradoxical until a recent study made it possible. Researchers have designed new catalysts that can transform the greenhouse gas into methanol at temperatures ranging from room temperature to 200° C, whereas most catalysts can operate only at or above 250° C. The research is published in the journal Nature Chemistry. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-disk-catalyst-carbon-dioxide-methanol.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 02 Apr 2026 09:00:03 EDT news694278373 Porous materials are widely used for gas storage, separation, catalysis, and environmental purification. Their functionality arises from nanoscale pores that allow molecules to be selectively captured or transported. However, most porous materials, such as metal-organic frameworks, rely on rigid three-dimensional networks formed by strong chemical bonds, which often make them mechanically brittle and difficult to process into practical shapes. A research team led by Professor Shuhei Furukawa at the Institute for Integrated Cell-Material Sciences (WPI-iCeMS), Kyoto University, has developed a new type of microporous aerogel that overcomes these limitations. https://phys.org/news/2026-04-microporous-aerogel-van-der-waals.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 01 Apr 2026 17:10:06 EDT news694273741 Scientists have developed a new material that can use sunlight and water to convert carbon dioxide (CO₂) into carbon monoxide (CO)—a key building block for making fuels, plastics, pharmaceuticals and other everyday chemicals. The finding could support the development of future technologies that recycle greenhouse gases to make fuels and useful chemicals more sustainably, using nothing more than light and water. https://phys.org/news/2026-03-material-approach-carbon-dioxide-conversion.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 17 Mar 2026 19:40:03 EDT news692978401 Drugs made of mRNA have the potential to transform medicine—if only they could get into cells in one piece. Now, University of Connecticut researchers have shown that packaging mRNA like a virus could smuggle it into cells safely, opening up a new way to deliver mRNA into cells to treat diseases such as cancer. Their research is published in the journal ACS Nano. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-viral-strategies-mrna-medicines-cells.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 23 Feb 2026 16:20:05 EST news691072875 Ammonia (NH3) is essential for fertilizers and emerging carbon-free energy technologies, yet its conventional production via the Haber-Bosch process is energy-intensive and CO2-emitting. Researchers from Tohoku University and collaborating institutions have now established a structural blueprint for deploying 3D COFs in electrocatalysis, opening new routes toward sustainable nitrate management and decentralized ammonia synthesis. The work was published in the Journal of Materials Chemistry A on February 2, 2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-02-nitrate-pollution-green-fuel-3d.html Analytical Chemistry Fri, 06 Feb 2026 11:46:40 EST news689600761 Generative AI models have been used to create enormous libraries of theoretical materials that could help solve all kinds of problems. Now, scientists just have to figure out how to make them. In many cases, materials synthesis is not as simple as following a recipe in the kitchen. Factors like the temperature and length of processing can yield huge changes in a material's properties that make or break its performance. That has limited researchers' ability to test millions of promising model-generated materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-generative-ai-scientists-complex-materials.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 02 Feb 2026 05:00:03 EST news689003972 For many decades, the method to obtain atomic-level descriptions of chemical compounds and materials—be it a drug, a catalyst, or a commodity chemical—has been X-ray crystallography. This method has a known weakness: it requires one single, high-quality and large enough crystal to study. Scientists often couldn't determine a new substance's structure if it only existed as microscopic dust or was too fragile for X-ray beams. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-strength-ray-technique-previously-unattainable.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 28 Jan 2026 11:35:32 EST news688822502 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 led by Oleh and Olena Taratula and Chao Wang of the OSU College of Pharmacy appears in Advanced Functional Materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-nanomaterial-oxidative-stress-cancer-cells.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 27 Jan 2026 16:44:40 EST news688754642 Many natural compounds that act on the human body provide active ingredients for medicines or clues for developing them, and they play a crucial role in pharmaceutical research. https://phys.org/news/2026-01-crystalline-sponge-drug-discovery-apf.html Analytical Chemistry Sat, 17 Jan 2026 11:00:03 EST news687520582 Princeton researchers have developed a new tool to speed the discovery of advanced materials known as metal organic frameworks (MOFs). https://phys.org/news/2026-01-tool-narrows-ideal-metal-frameworks.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 07 Jan 2026 16:30:03 EST news687025286 Materials scientists at Rice University and collaborators have developed a material that uses light to break down a range of pollutants in water, including per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, the "forever chemicals" that have garnered attention for their pervasiveness. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-material-destroy-pfas-contaminants.html Materials Science Mon, 15 Dec 2025 16:46:17 EST news685039561 A new computational approach developed at the University of Chicago promises to shed light on some of the world's most puzzling materials—from high-temperature superconductors to solar cell semiconductors—by uniting two long-divided scientific perspectives. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-quantum-chemistry-method-secrets-advanced.html Condensed Matter Mon, 15 Dec 2025 16:40:01 EST news685038777 Redox-active metal-organic frameworks (RAMOFs) are highly porous materials made of metals and organic molecules linked together by coordination bonds, and they contain redox-active sites that can store electrons (protons). RAMOFs are promising candidates as electrode-active materials for rechargeable batteries. https://phys.org/news/2025-12-resistant-recyclable-redox-mofs-enable.html Nanomaterials Wed, 03 Dec 2025 09:19:27 EST news683975941