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. We generally throw away a broken camera lens, earphones or an old phone that has stopped working and is beyond repair because they seem useless when they no longer function. However, these objects contain rare earth elements (REEs) that have applications in magnets, superconductivity, optics and batteries, among others. When these objects end up in water, recovering REEs becomes difficult. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-approach-captures-toxic-metals-recovers.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 06 Oct 2026 13:50:02 EDT news710511962 Next-generation computing technologies could be one step closer to emulating how neurons respond and communicate with each other, thanks to research examining how electrons and ions move through materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ions-electrons-porous-material-potential.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 01 Oct 2026 18:40:01 EDT news710084581 In materials chemistry, identifying common parameters that can organize magnetic ground states across complex intermetallic compounds remains a central challenge. Researchers have long used chemically tunable parameters to control magnetic properties. One is valence-electron concentration, commonly discussed as the electron-per-atom (e/a) ratio. The e/a ratio has been widely used to classify magnetic ground states in metallic systems such as Heusler alloys and approximant crystals. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-crystal-spacing-magnetic-states-complex.html Condensed Matter Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:00:02 EDT news709895521 Researchers have coated mitochondria with innovative materials without compromising their function, according to a study by IRCCS Fondazione Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta (FINCB) and Politecnico di Milano. The research was conducted as part of the BraiNs joint laboratory, inaugurated in 2023. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-coating-mitochondria-retain-ability-energy.html Cell & Microbiology Tue, 29 Sep 2026 19:40:07 EDT news709916702 Liquid hydrogen (LH₂) is attractive for long-distance energy transport because of its high volumetric energy density. But even well-insulated tanks cannot completely prevent heat from entering. As the liquid warms, hydrogen evaporates and pressure builds, leading to boil-off losses during storage and transport. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-rethinking-liquid-hydrogen-storage-metal.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 29 Sep 2026 18:40:01 EDT news709916342 Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a new family of materials that use light to produce hydrogen from water, opening the door to new ways of converting the sun's rays into clean energy. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-family-materials-efficiently-sunlight-energy.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 29 Sep 2026 15:40:01 EDT news709912773 Nanoparticles could someday provide a new way to help soldiers fight back against deadly nerve agents on the front lines. In a new study, Northwestern University scientists developed a nanoparticle-based compound that, when mixed into clothing dyes, could limit the impact of chemicals commonly found in pesticides, insecticides and nerve agents. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-wearable-nanotech-combat-nerve-agents.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 29 Sep 2026 08:40:02 EDT news709889641 Hydrogen—the lightest atom—does the heavy lifting when it comes to important chemical reactions. It can be stored and released as clean fuel, and its movements help catalysts build medicines, fertilizers and materials. One way hydrogen is available for use is through a hydride—a hydrogen (H) atom bound to a metal. Yet with standard tools, this metal-bound atom can be hard to find in the structure. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-microcrystal-electron-diffractometer-hidden-hydrogen.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 22 Sep 2026 13:20:05 EDT news709291087 Drug discovery has traditionally followed the "rule of 5," which identifies chemical properties generally associated with good absorption of orally administered drugs, including a molecular weight below 500 daltons (Da). However, some pharmaceutical compounds fall outside these guidelines. Known as beyond rule of 5 (bRo5) molecules, these compounds can have larger, more complex structures while still exhibiting strong therapeutic activity and favorable pharmacological properties. Their size and structural complexity, however, make it difficult to characterize them using conventional methods, particularly when very small quantities are available. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-crystalline-sponge-reveals-large-molecules.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 08 Sep 2026 17:00:07 EDT news708097381 Copper has been knocked off the top of a stability ranking it had dominated for decades. Without altering the atoms directly bonded to the metal, a KAIST research team reversed the longstanding trend in which copper generally forms the most stable complexes by tuning only the weak hydrogen bonds in its surrounding environment. The findings, which appear in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, could open new avenues for selective metal separation and recognition, as well as catalyst design. https://phys.org/news/2026-09-weak-hydrogen-bonds-dethrone-copper.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 07 Sep 2026 16:00:01 EDT news708004262 What happens when a superconductor becomes so thin that electrons can no longer behave as if they were moving through an ordinary three-dimensional piece of metal? This question has been at the center of my recent work on quantum confinement in metallic films. Over the past few years, I have been developing this line of theory with my colleague Giovanni Ummarino at Politecnico di Torino. Our initial goal was to understand something rather concrete: Why does shrinking the thickness of a superconducting film change the temperature at which superconductivity appears? https://phys.org/news/2026-08-superconductors-thinner-accommodate-magnetic-fields.html Superconductivity Wed, 02 Sep 2026 17:40:01 EDT news707392815 Restructuring a molecule without rebuilding it from scratch is an increasingly important goal in modern organic chemistry. Skeletal editing is an approach that helps chemists explore new chemical structures and simplify the synthesis of molecules with potential pharmaceutical applications. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-fuse-strategy-route-molecular-skeletal.html Biochemistry Sun, 30 Aug 2026 17:00:03 EDT news707112646 Researchers at the University of Osaka have developed a catalyst that uses mechanical vibration to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into carbon monoxide (CO), an important chemical feedstock. The catalyst consists of barium titanate (BaTiO3) coated with a metal-organic framework (MOF)—a porous material that captures and concentrates CO2 near the catalyst surface—and incorporates isolated copper (Cu) atoms as reaction sites. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-mof-coated-catalyst-faster-ultrasonic.html Analytical Chemistry Thu, 27 Aug 2026 17:40:05 EDT news707064301 Machine learning doesn't replace human intelligence, but it can outlast human endurance, which makes it a helpful tool for chemistry and materials discovery. Scientists know machine learning models can make predictions based on the vast reams of data they are trained on, but can they take it a step further and massively scale up testing those predictions? https://phys.org/news/2026-08-machine-methods-labs-closer-materials.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 26 Aug 2026 16:50:01 EDT news706981081 Researchers at TU Dortmund University, Paderborn University, the University of Duisburg-Essen, and the University of Oxford have developed a new method for selectively modifying the internal structure of specific types of glass. The study, published in the journal Nature Materials, shows how adding an organic molecule during melting causes the chemical bonds in the material to rearrange. The process reduces the required processing temperature, prevents the substance from decomposing, and allows the magnetic and optical properties to be precisely tuned. These specialized glasses are used, among other things, in gas storage, batteries, optical applications and catalysis. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-molecular-door-generation-glass.html Analytical Chemistry Mon, 24 Aug 2026 18:10:01 EDT news706807741 Reducing carbon dioxide emissions from industrial processes and energy production remains one of the major technological challenges in addressing climate change. Membrane-based gas separation offers an energy-efficient alternative to conventional separation technologies, but identifying membranes that allow gases to pass through rapidly while also separating them effectively has long presented a major materials-design challenge. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-ai-screens-membrane-combinations-carbon.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 19 Aug 2026 15:20:04 EDT news706359481 Developing new materials to tackle pressing global issues is a gap-filled process that can leave potential climate solutions lost in unread academic papers and forgotten dissertations. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-materials-capture-methane.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 18 Aug 2026 14:20:04 EDT news706270381 Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative brain disorder characterized by progressive memory loss and a decline in other mental functions. Past studies have consistently linked this disorder to the accumulation of the protein amyloid-β (Aβ) between brain cells, ultimately resulting in the formation of so-called amyloid plaques. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-gold-nanoclusters-alzheimer-amyloid-plaques.html Bio & Medicine Mon, 17 Aug 2026 10:00:01 EDT news706177996 The strongest glasses have an Achilles' heel that causes them to fail catastrophically when pushed past their limit. They do not bend or stretch, as all damage concentrates into a single plane and the material fails in an instant. This brittleness has long capped the usefulness of high-stability amorphous solids, from bulk metallic glasses to engineered metamaterials. https://phys.org/news/2026-08-particles-stable-glasses-stronger-catastrophic.html Soft Matter Sun, 16 Aug 2026 09:00:01 EDT news705982865 Capturing carbon or storing hydrogen to combat global warming requires compressing gases into sponge-like porous materials. Until now, gas molecules were thought to adsorb in a disordered manner throughout the pores. But what if invisible gas molecules could be lined up in regular order—like ice crystals or LEGO bricks? https://phys.org/news/2026-08-porous-material-disordered-gas-molecules.html Analytical Chemistry Tue, 11 Aug 2026 18:20:05 EDT news705678721 The cuts of meat in a supermarket case can look perfectly fresh even as bacteria are already multiplying inside the package. Is there a way to know before you open it? https://phys.org/news/2026-08-smart-hydrogel-packaging-food-fresh.html Biochemistry Thu, 06 Aug 2026 18:40:02 EDT news705252001 Nanoporous material-based separation technology is vital in many applications because it can precisely distinguish between and separate nearly identical chemical or biochemical molecules. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-dynamic-nanopore-maximize-efficiency-molecule.html Bio & Medicine Tue, 28 Jul 2026 10:40:06 EDT news704450222 Nanocarbons are molecular-scale carbon structures considered to be the building blocks for next-generation materials. Until now, scientists have built them by fusing small, flat carbon molecules together at their edges. Modifying the inside of a molecule was considered challenging because inner bonds are locked into flat, rigid structures that resist change. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-scientists-rebuild-molecules-chiral-nanocarbons.html Nanomaterials Tue, 28 Jul 2026 05:00:01 EDT news704364241 A fleeting photoinduced electronic state and the subsequent formation of a photoinduced hidden state in a metal–organic framework were captured in just 30 femtoseconds by researchers at Science Tokyo, Tohoku University and Nagoya Institute of Technology, Japan. By combining ultrafast laser spectroscopy with theoretical analysis, the researchers found that a transient electronic state plays a key role in this process. The findings provide new insights into controlling material properties with light for future applications. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-reveals-transient-electronic-hidden-state.html Condensed Matter Mon, 27 Jul 2026 16:30:01 EDT news704386981 Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) have become a standard in modern devices with incredible contrast and sleek designs. While initially an expensive luxury, OLEDs are gradually becoming more financially accessible as the technology improves. Now, researchers at the Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM) at Nagoya University and the Institute for Advanced Study at Kyushu University have combined quantum chemistry with machine learning to identify new materials for blue OLEDs for incorporation in next-generation ultra-high-definition displays. Their research was published in Angewandte Chemie on July 21, 2026. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ai-quantum-chemistry-combine-efficient.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 22 Jul 2026 16:20:01 EDT news703945861 Controlling how oxygen reacts is important for improving technologies such as batteries, fuel cells and environmentally sustainable chemical processes. A research team led by professor Seung Jun Hwang from KAIST's Department of Chemistry has developed a molecular system capable of directing oxygen activation along a selected electron-transfer pathway. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-chemists-molecular-platform-oxygen-reaction.html Analytical Chemistry Wed, 22 Jul 2026 14:40:07 EDT news703940761 Scientists in China have developed a smart coating that could make it easier to remove tritium (a radioactive form of hydrogen) from nuclear power plant wastewater. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-smart-coating-cleanup-nuclear-wastewater.html Biochemistry Tue, 14 Jul 2026 16:20:07 EDT news703257909 A research team has presented a roadmap for developing an "artificial olfactory system" that detects odors like the human nose and analyzes them using artificial intelligence (AI) by leveraging metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). The team systematically organized and reviewed key research trends in electronic nose technology, from MOF material design to sensor implementation and AI-based odor pattern recognition. The research was led by Hyuk-Jun Kwon's in the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science of Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology. The work is published in the journal Progress in Materials Science. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-ai-powered-electronic-nose-distinguish.html Biochemistry Mon, 13 Jul 2026 16:00:01 EDT news703169645 Progress in chemistry is often gradual, with some of its most important advances taking years—sometimes decades—to unfold. A case in point is the discovery of a novel "ferrocenophane" from the class of compounds known as "sandwich molecules"—so named because of their particular structure. In a ferrocenophane, the "bread slices" are two carbon rings that enclose an iron atom as the sandwich "filling." A team of chemists at Saarland University has now succeeded in developing a highly unusual bent sandwich molecule that opens up new possibilities for designing iron-containing materials. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-chemists-elusive-carbon-bridged-sandwich.html Materials Science Mon, 13 Jul 2026 11:40:06 EDT news703154968 Oil refining is necessary for transforming raw, unusable crude oil into valuable goods like gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and petrochemical feedstocks. However, the usual distillation process is energy-intensive, spurring researchers to find better, more efficient ways of refining oil. A new study published in Science describes a potential solution to this problem in the form of a specialized membrane. So far, these membranes are proving to be a scalable and highly plausible industrial technology, and testing has shown promising results for significantly reducing the energy needs of oil processing. https://phys.org/news/2026-07-nextgeneration-membranes-refine-crude-oil.html Materials Science Thu, 09 Jul 2026 11:20:02 EDT news702814462